European Heart Journal Advance Access originally published online on February 12, 2008
European Heart Journal 2008 29(6):707-717; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehn047
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Current diagnostic concepts to detect coronary artery disease in women
Med. Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Kardiologie und Angiologie, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
Received 14 June 2007; revised 6 December 2007; accepted 17 January 2008; online publish-ahead-of-print 12 February 2008.
* Corresponding author. Tel: +49 30 450 513 153, Fax: +49 30 450 513 932, Email: verena.stangl{at}charite.de
The goal of non-invasive diagnostic testing is to detect coronary artery disease (CAD) timely and with optimal fidelity. In women, the accuracy of most functional diagnostic investigations is diminished compared with men. To minimize the sex-related bias in detection of CAD, there is a need for a non-invasive test strategy capable of risk-stratifying women, and of identifying subsets of patients in need of further invasive testing. The present review discusses the validity of classical diagnostic procedures for CAD in women, and addresses the relevance of newer techniques in the context of a female-specific diagnostic approach.
Key Words: Women Coronary artery disease Diagnostic