Coronary heart disease in women: risk factors and prevention.

Coronary heart disease in women can be prevented or reduced by identifying risk factors and modifying behavior. The optimal recommendations, which may differ from those for men, are based on the appropriate consideration of women's risk factors. The strongest risk factors for women are increasing age, diabetes, tobacco use, and high-density lipoprotein level. This paper reviews the risk factors for coronary heart disease as they apply to women, emphasizing the gender differences in risk factor impact and modification on mortality and morbidity.