CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE REMAINS THE BIGGEST KILLER

CORONARY artery disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity of both men and women, accounting for over one-third of total deaths, said Dr M Vivek, consultant interventional cardiologist, Dr Mehta's Hospitals. It has reached epidemic proportions among Indians. It accounts for one out of three women dying regardless of their race or ethnicity, the doctor said.

Despite the increasing prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women, there is a persistent perception that CAD is a man's disease. The distribution of CAD risk factors varies between men and women across age ranges and failure to consider these differences may have contributed to the belief that women are at lower risk of CAD compared to men, Dr Vivek said.