This book brings together specialist authors from a variety of medical disciplines to give comprehensive coverage of the whole spectrum of women's vascular health. Covering coronary artery disease and its precursors, venous disease, thrombophilic defects, hormonal therapy and haemorrhagic problems, the content is divided into three sections.

    Section one reviews generic issues including the pathophysiology of arteriosclerosis, metabolic factors in vascular disease, the epidemiology and management of CHD in women. The management of cardiac syndrome X and the problem of diabetes are also discussed here. The second section looks at women's vascular health as it applies to fertility issues and during pregnancy such as polycystic ovarian disease, menstrual dysfunction, the menopause, venous thromboembolism and haemorrhagic problems. In the concluding third section, hormonal therapy in women and in particular the oral contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapies are covered.

    The reader will be given a clear overview of the potential mechanisms whereby such therapy can act as a risk factor for arterial and venous disease, and will receive clear guidance regarding prescribing.

    SECTION 1: OVERVIEW
          1. Epidemiology of vascular disease in women
          2. Pathophysiology of arterioscleriosis
          3. Metabolic risk factors for vascular disease in women
          4. Genetic factors in vascular disease
          5. Diabetes mellitus in women
          6. Haemostatic factors in vascular disease
          7. Congenital Thrombophilia and Venous Disease
          8. Acquired thrombophilia
          9. Congenital and acquired haemorrhagic problems
          10. The Vasculitides
          11. Anticoagulants / anticoagulants in pregnancy
          12. Antiplatelet agents
          13. Prophylaxis of venous and arterial thromboembolism in medical and surgical patients
          14. Management of coronary artery disease including syndrome X in women
          15. Peripheral vascular disease in women
          16. Cerebrovascular disease
          17. Cancer and thrombosis in women
          18. Management of DVT and PTE including longterm sequelae
    SECTION 2: REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS
          19. Irregular menstrual bleeding
          20. Polycystic ovarian syndrome and vascular disease
          21. The effect of pregnancy on the haemostatic and metabolic systems
          22. Venous thrombosis in pregnancy
          23. Venous thrombosis and ovarian stimulation
          24. Thrombophilia and pregnancy complications
          25. Heart disease in pregnancy
          26. Hypertension, pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction
          27. Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy
          28. Gestational diabetes
          29. Maternal & fetal programming
    SECTION 3: HORMONAL THERAPY IN WOMEN
          30. Epidemiology of the combined oral contraceptive pill and thrombosis
          31. The oral contraceptive pill, mechanisms of vascular risk and practical prescribing strategies for women with thrombotic problems
          32. Epidemiology of HRT and vascular disease
          33. Hormone replacement therapy and mechanism of vascular risk
          34. Practical strategies for HRT prescribing

    Biography

    Ian A. Greer, Regius Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Glasgow, UK

    Jeffrey Ginsberg, Professor of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Charles D. Forbes, Professor of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, UK

    Written and edited by a unique combination of experts in obstetrics and gynecology, hemtaology, and medicine,  Women's Vascular Health presents a view of vascular disease in women that is much more holistic than is often acknowledged ... The timeliness of the book deserves emphasis ... the book does a remarkable job of assembling and incorporating even very recent pivotal clinical trial data that focus on women ... It correctly identifies the unique characteristics of women and their vascular health, making for a book that will help obstetricians, cardiologists, and primary care physicians alike offer a higher level of care to their female patients.


    Ruchira Glaser, The New England Journal of Medicine