Heart disease remains a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in women in the United States and worldwide. This review highlights known and emerging risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD) in women. Traditional Framingham risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, as well as lifestyle habits such as unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle are all modifiable. Health care providers should be aware of emerging cardiac risk factors in women such as adverse pregnancy outcomes, systemic autoimmune disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, and radiation-induced heart disease; psychosocial factors such as mental stress, depression, anxiety, low socioeconomic status, and work and marital stress play an important role in IHD in women. Appropriate recognition and management of an array of risk factors is imperative given the growing burden of IHD and need to deliver cost-effective, quality care for women.

Conflicts of Interest:

Dr. Mehta reports grants from Gilead Sciences and General Electric

Dr. Wei reports no conflicts of interest

Dr. Wenger reports Research Grants/Contracts/Trial Steering Commttee/Trial Data Safety and Monitoring Board from Gilead Sciences, Merck, NHLBI, Pfizer; Consultantship from AstraZeneca. Gilead Sciences, Merck, and Pfizer

• K23 HL105787/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States
• T32 HL116273/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States
• K23HL105787/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States
• T32HL116273/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States