title: Risk factors among medically indigent women < or = 45 years old with angiographically proven obstructive coronary arterial disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Risk factors for angiographically proven coronary arterial disease (CAD) have not been assessed in a large cohort of young medically indigent women, who are known to have more CAD than better educated and more affluent women.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 2-year period, 165 medically indigent women < or = 45 years old underwent coronary arteriography for symptoms suggesting CAD. We compared the prevalence of risk factors in the 100 with obstructive CAD with the prevalence in the 65 with non-obstructive or no CAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups had high prevalences of all of the standard risk factors. Compared to the 65 without, the 100 with obstructive CAD more often smoked, had diabetes mellitus, had a family history of CAD, and more often had had a myocardial infarct.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAD in medically indigent young women is not rare and is best predicted by symptoms, smoking, and diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University, School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: D Luke
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Glancy
authors.forename: Akbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Ruba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Azzam
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abourahma
authors.forename: Jeannine F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kropog
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Steinmann
authors.forename: Wail
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Asfour
authors.forename: Bahij
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khuri
authors.forename: Kush
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Parakat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vijayagopal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008489:Medical Indigency; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology