April 21, 2021
Female veterans with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), as well as those with extremely premature disease onset, are much less likely to receive evidence-based medical therapy, including high-intensity statins, when compared with male veterans, a new Veterans Affairs (VA) study shows.
The study highlights, yet again, the historic disparities in cardiovascular healthcare for women, one that is now seen in young patients who “have a lot to lose” by being undertreated, according to senior investigator Salim Virani, MD, PhD (Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX).
“When you look at the data in secondary prevention it holds true for primary prevention, as well there is no heterogeneity of statin therapy by sex or by age,” he told TCTMD. “That’s never been shown. For [a woman] who is 40 or 45 years old and gets their first MI, the number of years that you can salvage without disability by providing