Incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome Between Men and Women: Integrative Review

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the difference between the male and female genders regarding the number of cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)/acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This is an integrative literature review study, in which articles were searched in the following databases: MEDLINE, LILACS, SCIELO, BDENF. The articles were published between the years 2006 and 2018. Initially, 502 studies were found, 17 of which were selected to compose this research. Studies in general have pointed to a high incidence of ACS/AMI in males, however, a linear increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in females has been observed in recent years. And that the factors associated with the appearance are hypertension, smoking, alcoholism, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, among others. In conclusion, the incidence of patients with ACS/AMI every year has been a major challenge for health institutions and health professionals. The gender most affected by these diseases is the male gender; however, the increase in new cases in women has increased linearly in recent years.