Abstract
BACKGROUNDDifferences exist between men and women in prognosis after the onset of coronary heart disease (CHD).METHODS AND RESULTSAll Framingham Heart Study subjects with the onset of clinically apparent coronary disease from 1951 through 1986 were studied to compare prognosis in men and women according to CHD presentation. Coronary disease presentations included angina, coronary insufficiency (unstable angina), recognized myocardial infarction, unrecognized myocardial infarction, and coronary death. Less than 1% of subjects were lost to follow-up for overall mortality. Cox modeling was used to examine the sex differences in outcome for each coronary presentation. New nonfatal coronary disease developed in 750 men (mean age, 63 years) and 583 women (mean age, 67 years). After onset of angina, men were at greater risk than women for myocardial infarction (hazards ratio [HR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45 to 3.34) and coronary death (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.32 to 3.36) after adjustment for age and co...