Genotypic and phenotypic differences between genders: Cardiology for women

The now recognized differences between genders have had a bigger impact in cardiology, by enhancing the knowledge about the vascular wall, a key piece in the genesis of cardiovascular risk in women. These genomic differences begin in fetal life, and add themselves to the changes in life style generating the differences between genders. One consequence of the interaction of this factors it’s the accumulation of lipids in the arterial wall, increasing atherosclerosis and the risk for atherothrombosis. This process it’s facilitated in women whom after menopause develop a pro-atherogenic dismetabolia, wich leads to a bigger risk of cardiovascular damage. In western world, coronary disease occupies the first place in morbidity and mortality. In women, including those who live in latinamerican countries, morbidity and mortality reaches 50% of the total of both genders. As an example, in Colombia one woman dies every 20 minutes, all year long, due to cardiovascular causes. Cardiovascular problems in women usually present 10 years later than they do in men; acute myocardial infarction presents about 20 years later. Symptoms and clinical manifestations are not those typically seen in men and unfortunately the pharmacology, moment of diagnosis and kinds of treatment differ for women. Therefore, its important the knowledge and understanding of this differences for a precocious identification of women with augmented cardiovascular risk, evaluating its risk factors, applying the concept of global risk and making therapeutic changes in life styles. (MED.UIS. 2011;24(3):265-74).