Authors

• Katica Cvitkušić Lukenda — General Hospital “Dr. Josip Benčević”, Slavonski Brod, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-6188-0708
• Jelena Jakab — Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-5023-4409
• Marijana Knežević Praveček — General Hospital “Dr. Josip Benčević”, Slavonski Brod, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-8727-7357
• Krešimir Gabaldo — General Hospital “Dr. Josip Benčević”, Slavonski Brod, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-0116-5929
• Anto Lukenda — General Hospital “Dr. Josip Benčević”, Slavonski Brod, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-2275-1919
• Vesna Ćosić — Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0003-1141-3102

Abstract

**Introduction**: Over the past two decades, the prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI) has trended downward in both sexes in the United States and Europe, although this decline has been smaller in women. (1) According to the available literature, only two models predicting cardiovascular risk (CVD) in women included risk factors specific to women, which were reproductive risk factors. (2) Our previous research showed a significant association between ferritin, hsCRP, and systolic blood pressure in women working shift work. (3) In women, iron stores increase during menopause. We started a prospective study of CVD risk factors and CVD outcomes in women in Brod-Posavina County. Aim: To determine the association between ferritin level and menopause age as female-specific CVD risk factors in women and the influence of body mass index (BMI), non-HDL and hsCRP on cardiovascular risk in women. **Patients and Methods:** Women aged 35 to 75 years, divided into two groups: women without coronary artery disease (CAD) and women with CAD (angiography, medical history of MI). The variables included in the evaluation are: age, BMI, menopause age and status, systolic blood pressure (SBP), non-HDL, ferritin, hsCRP, and smoking habits. Results are mean±SD. For the comparison of continuous variables, we used the Student t-test, whereas for the comparison of categorical variables, we used the Fisher exact test. P # | | Menopause age | 48.73±4.82 | 51.07±4.14 | 0.17* | | non HDL | 4.23±1.25 | 4.6±0.7 | 0.31* | | Ferritin | 96.12±63.75 | 57.77±38.3 | # | [†] BMI = body mass index; SBP = systolic blood pressure *Student t test, #Fisher’s exact test **Conclusion**: The preliminary results of our study show that women without CAD have statistically lower BMI, ferritin and hsCRP levels compared to women with CAD. There were no differences in menopause age and status, non-HDL or smoking habits. Further research is needed to improve women’s health.

Keywords

cardiovascular risk, women, prevention, ferritin

DOI

Literature

1. Salari N, Morddarvanjoghi F, Abdolmaleki A, Rasoulpoor S, Khaleghi AA, Hezarkhani LA, et al. The global prevalence of myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2023 April 22;23(1):206. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-023-03231-w
2. Baart SJ, Dam V, Scheres LJJ, Damen JAAG, Spijker R, Schuit E, et al. Cardiovascular risk prediction models for women in the general population: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2019 January 8;14(1):e0210329. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210329
3. Cvitkušić Lukenda K, Vučić D, Raguž A, Bitunjac I, Mišković D, Gabaldo K, et al. M. Relationship Between Serum Ferritin Levels, Arterial Hypertension and Shift Work in Women. A Cross-sectional Analysis. SEEMEDJ. 2021;5(2):27–37. https://doi.org/10.26332/seemedj.v5i2.210