Sex Differences in Cardiac Risk Factors, Perceived Risk, and Health Care Provider Discussion of Risk and Risk Modification Among Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The VIRGO Study.

<bold>Background: </bold>Differences between sexes in cardiac risk factors, perceptions of cardiac risk, and health care provider discussions about risk among young patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are not well studied.<bold>Objectives: </bold>This study compared cardiac risk factor prevalence, risk perceptions, and health care provider feedback on heart disease and risk modification between young women and men hospitalized with AMI.<bold>Methods: </bold>We studied 3,501 AMI patients age 18 to 55 years enrolled in the VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) study in U.S. and Spanish hospitals between August 2008 and January 2012, comparing the prevalence of 5 cardiac risk factors by sex. Modified Poisson regression was used to assess sex differences in self-perceived heart disease risk and self-reported provider discussions of risk and modification.<bold>Results: </bold>Nearly all patients (98%) had ≥1 risk factor, and 64% had ≥3. Only 53% of patients considered themselves at risk for heart disease, and even fewer reported being told they were at risk (46%) or that their health care provider had discussed heart disease and risk modification (49%). Women were less likely than men to be told they were at risk (relative risk: 0.89; 95% confidence interval: 0.84 to 0.96) or to have a provider discuss risk modification (relative risk: 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.79 to 0.89). There was no difference between women and men for self-perceived risk.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Despite having significant cardiac risk factors, only one-half of young AMI patients believed they were at risk for heart disease before their event. Even fewer discussed their risks or risk modification with their health care providers; this issue was more pronounced among women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]