Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of diseases that include both the heart and blood vessels, thereby including coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) among several other conditions. Although health professionals frequently use both terms CAD and ACS interchangeably, as well as CHD, they are not the same [1]. ACS is a subcategory of CAD, whilst CHD results of CAD. On the other hand, CAD is characterized by atherosclerosis in coronary arteries and can be asymptomatic, whereas ACS almost always presents with a symptom, such as unstable angina, and is frequently associated with myocardial infarction (MI) regardless of the presence of CAD [2].
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a devastating disease precisely because an otherwise healthy person in the prime of life may die or become disabled without warning when the afflicted individual is under the age of 40, the tragic consequences for family friends 1 and occupation are particularly catastrophic and un-expected. Prevalence of conventional risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia and obesity accounts for about 85–90% of premature CAD patients [3].
Often young CAD patients have multiple coexisting risk factors contributing to the disease. Pakistani people belong to the South Asian population which has the highest known rate of coronary artery disease (CAD) According to the careful estimates based on scientific studies nearly 100.000 individuals suffered from acute myocardial infarction (ANTI) in calendar year 2002. The relative risk of 6 developing CAD in Pakistani men is highest in early ages [4].
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) comprises unstable angina, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. ACS is the major manifestation of ischemic heart disease (IHD) which in turn is a major part of cardiovascular diseases. In women, cardiovascular diseases are under-estimated although they are the leading cause of death in females [5]. More women than men die due to cardiovascular causes each year. In the year 2004, 32% of women died of cardiovascular diseases worldwide as compared to 27% of men.
In Pakistan IHD is the 2nd leading cause of death at all ages contributing to 11% of all deaths. However, IHD is the commonest cause of death worldwide in both genders [6]. Ischemic heart disease in women is not the same as it is in men. Important gender differences exist in almost every aspect of this disease complex. IHD develops 10–20 years later in women compared to men. Incidence of IHD in men is several times of that in age-adjusted pre-menopausal women [7]. Various explanations have been given for this observation but accepted one is that serum levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) are higher in premenopausal women due to the protective effect of oestradiol. HDL is protective against CHD and as its level falls after menopause due to oestradiol deficiency, the incidence of IHD in women rises [8].