The difference between acute coronary heart disease and ischaemic stroke risk with regard to gender and age in Finnish and Swedish populations

Background We studied the age and gender difference between acute coronary heart disease and ischaemic stroke risk and examined the extent to which such a difference may be explained by known risk factors. Methods Data from Finnish and Swedish population-based cohorts including 9278 individuals were collaboratively analysed. Hazards ratios (95% confidence intervals) for coronary heart disease and stroke incidence were estimated using the Cox-proportional hazards model. Results The incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke was higher in all age groups in men than in women, and the gender difference was more marked for coronary heart disease than for ischaemic stroke. There was a 10-year lag in the development of coronary heart disease and stroke in women compared with men. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for the incidence of coronary heart disease in men and women were 3 center dot 87 (2 center dot 49-6 center dot 02) and 1 center dot 71 (1 center dot 07-2 center dot 74) at age 50-59 years, and 7 center dot 22 (4 center dot 59-11 center dot 36) and 3 center dot 49 (2 center dot 18-5 center dot 57) at age 60-69 years compared with women aged 40-49 years. For ischaemic stroke, they were 2 center dot 64 (1 center dot 45-4 center dot 82) and 2 center dot 17 (1 center dot 18-3 center dot 97) at age 50-59 years, and 5 center dot 19 (2 center dot 81-9 center dot 58) and 4 center dot 89 (2 center dot 67-8 center dot 97) at age 60-69 years, respectively. Conclusions Acute coronary heart disease and ischaemic stroke events appeared approximately 10 years earlier in men than in women, and these rates remained higher in men than in women in all age groups. The gender difference was more marked for coronary heart disease than for ischaemic stroke. This may be taken into account when developing interventions and treatment strategies.