Cardiovascular disease in Middle Eastern women.

Morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) are rising among Middle Eastern women. Despite this threat, awareness and understanding of CVD are low and surveillance data are nonexistent for many populations in this region. In this review, the data available on CVD in Middle Eastern women will be generalized. Population-based studies in the Middle East have been sporadic and most have been cross-sectional with small samples. Many Middle Eastern countries lack reliable surveillance data regarding the prevalence and incidence of CVD and its risk factors in women. This information is crucial for monitoring the scope of the problem and for guiding intervention strategies. Because of the ethnic heterogeneity of this region and the rapidly changing lifestyles, well-designed, longitudinal, large-scale population-based studies that focus on CVD and its risk factors are needed in multiple areas of the Middle East.