Women with a higher BMI may have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, according to an analysis of the ANCORS-YW study presented during ACC Middle East 2024.

The multicenter study matched young women aged 18-50 (mean age 42.9 years old) with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at a 1:2 ratio to those without, based on age, gender, ethnicity and marital status.

Results showed that of the 626 participants, women who were classified as overweight or obese had a higher prevalence of hypertension (31.43% vs. 23.78%, p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (19.52% vs. 10.49%), hypertensive disease of pregnancy (26.67% vs. 18.18%, p=0.026) and persistent weight gain after pregnancy (16.19% vs. 9.09%, p<0.001).

Those with a higher BMI were also significantly more likely to be older, with a low level of education (58.57% vs. 49.65%, p<0.001) and less likely to smoke (33.33% vs. 37.06%, p=0.001).

“This demographic is often underrepresented in global research and literature especially when it comes to the Middle East, despite the region’s high rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease,” said Mohammad Adnan Bani Baker, MD, one of the study’s authors. “I was drawn to this topic because of the alarming rise in these conditions in Middle Eastern women, which poses a significant public health challenge.”

He recommended targeted interventions including lifestyle modification programs, public health campaigns, educational programs and socioeconomic support.

Bani Baker et al.’s analysis was just one of the studies presented during ACC Middle East 2024, a virtual conference co-hosted by the ACC and the Egyptian Society of Cardiology centered on cardiovascular health issues affecting the Middle East.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world and causes one-third of all deaths in the Middle East and North Africa each year,” said Mohamed A. Sobhy, MD, FACC, ACC Middle East 2024 conference co-chair. “The ACC Middle East conference aims to provide clinicians from the region the opportunity to learn from global experts and consider new strategies to reduce the burden of heart disease on our patients.”

Sessions include:

• AI in Cardiology: Bridging US and European Union Perspectives
• Unlocking Imaging Modalities: Maximizing Clinical Utility Across Scenarios
• Addressing Cardiovascular Risk: Cases and Discussions on Novel Therapies and Genetic Considerations
• International Guidelines in Chronic Coronary Disease: Contrasting ACC and ESC Approaches

ACC Middle East 2024 will be presented virtually from Oct. 16-18. Read the full agenda here and follow the ACC on social media for live updates from the meeting.

Clinical Topics: Prevention, Hypertension

Keywords: Cardiovascular Diseases, Body Mass Index, Heart Diseases, Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Heart Disease Risk Factors, Coronary Disease, Socioeconomic Factors