Theme
Gender and Cardiovascular Health
The Annual General and scientific meeting of the Ghanaian society of cardiology is an excellent platform to gain insights into current updates in the field of Cardiology locally and internationally. This year is no exception.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally and locally, yet essential differences exist between men and women. Men generally develop CVD at a younger age and have a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than women.
Although the incidence of CVD in women is usually lower than in men, women have higher mortality and worse prognosis after acute cardiovascular events. These gender differences exist in various CVDs, including coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and aortic diseases. These gender differences have caused widespread concerns and the consideration of gender differences is of great importance for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of CVD.
What is the situation in Ghana? How do we predict which individuals have a high risk of developing these conditions? How does heart attack, and heart failure for instance differ based on gender? How do we then put measures in place to prevent these individuals from developing these conditions and manage those who develop them? This AGSM is tailored to provide some insights into these important questions.
At the end of AGSM participants should be able to :
- Provide an overview of gender-related differences in several typical CVDs
- List and analyze the possible causes associated with the differences
- Highlight the necessity of taking into account gender differences in the determination of the cardiovascular risk profile
- Clarify women-specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Target Audience
Cardiologists, Physician Specialists, Endocrinologists, Nephrologists, Paediatricians, Residents, Medical Officers, Family Practitioners, Public Health Practitioners