title: Variation in recovery: Role of gender on outcomes of young AMI patients (VIRGO) study design.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among individuals with ischemic heart disease, young women with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) represent an extreme phenotype associated with an excess mortality risk. Although women younger than 55 years of age account for less than 5% of hospitalized AMI events, almost 16 000 deaths are reported annually in this group, making heart disease a leading killer of young women. Despite a higher risk of mortality compared with similarly aged men, young women have been the subject of few studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients (VIRGO) is a large, observational study of the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of young women and men with AMI. VIRGO will enroll 2000 women, 18 to 55 years of age, with AMI and a comparison cohort of 1000 men with AMI from more than 100 participating hospitals. The aims of the study are to determine sex differences in the distribution and prognostic importance of biological, demographic, clinical, and psychosocial risk factors; to determine whether there are sex differences in the quality of care received by young AMI patients; and to determine how these factors contribute to sex differences in outcomes (including mortality, hospitalization, and health status). Blood serum and DNA for consenting participants will be stored for future studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VIRGO will seek to identify novel and prognostic factors that contribute to outcomes in this young AMI population. Results from the study will be used to develop clinically useful risk-stratification models for young AMI patients, explain sex differences in outcomes, and identify targets for intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. judith.lichtman@yale.edu
authors.forename: Judith H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lichtman
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Lorenze
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Onofrio
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spertus
authors.forename: Stacy T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lindau
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Jeph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrin
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mattera
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ridker
authors.forename: Harlan M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Krumholz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers