The Agency for Healthcare Research ...

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released brace evidence reports finding that insufficient studies forward women limit the usefulness of coronary heart disease (CHD) research. The reports, "Result of Systematic Review of Research upon Diagnosis and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease in Women" and "Diagnosis and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease in Women: Systematic Reviews of Evidence upon Selected Topics," are available online at www.ahrq.gov/clinic/ epcsums/chdwomsumhtm and www ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/chdwtop sumhtm respectively. In addition, the information can be ground on the National Guideline Clearinghouse Web site in a less degree than "EPC Report" at www.guideline.gov.

Although CHD causes more than 250000 deaths in women annually, a great deal of the research in the past 20 years forward the diagnosis and treatment of CHD has exclud women entirely or included single limited numbers of women and minorities. As a eventuate many of the tests and therapies used to treat women for CHD are based forward studies conducted predominately in men flat in studies that include women the research many times does not provide findings specific to women

In reviewing studies that did publish findings specific to form relative to sex or race/ethnicity, the researchers plant the following:

* profitable evidence suggests that treatment of hypertension lowers the risk for CHD ends in women, and that these benefits may be greater in black women

* Fair or beneficial evidence suggests that the use of diagnostic criterions and treatments may differ through gender. Men are more likely than women to sustain diagnostic testing and treatment for CHD nevertheless women are more likely to be treated for hypertension.

* Fair or suitable evidence suggests that the use of beta blocker aspirin, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors cut shorts risk for CHD events.

* Fair evidence remind ofs that smoking cessation after myocardial infarction lowers the risk for CHD in women

* Fair evidence proposes that women who receive glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor remedys during coronary procedures seem to benefit from this treatment, moreover good evidence suggests that use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor mix with drugss in women with acute coronary syndrome may be associated with an increased risk of death. This was the merely treatment studied for which there was evidence that the issues may be different between men and women Men treated with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor remedys during acute coronary syndromes appeared to benefit.

The researchers determine that even though funding agencies appear to have ensueed in ensuring that some women and minorities are included in fresh randomized trials, data about these populations frequently are not made clear in the published findings. They commit that funding and regulatory agencies demand that outcome data by sex and race/ethnicity be published, or easily made available, in addition to requiring participation of women and minorities in research.

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group