Yes CVD risk factors are gender specific. There are several clinical study publications are on that. For eg. Male is on greater risk for developing Venous thromboembolism (VTE) than woman. Refer following publication. JMHG, Vol. 2, No. Pg. 302, 2005.
Also, Mosca et al. (2001) wrote review about "Sex/Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention" including the description of different risk factor profiles.
See article here: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/124/19/2145.full.pdf+html
Women with lacunar stroke were remarkably older and presented with obesity and hypertension more frequently than did men. Lacunar stroke severity was similar in men and women.
Acta Neurol Belg. 2014 Jun;114(2):107-12.
There are some indications that endothelial dysfunction in OSA is gender dependent: Chest. 2013 Sep;144(3):915-22. doi: 10.1378/chest.12-2283.
Sex-dependent impact of OSA on digital vascular function.
Randby A, Namtvedt SK, Hrubos-Strøm H, Einvik G, Somers VK, Omland T.
of course, it is premitive that the hormonal conponant is an importnat factor. as an example the estrogen role in stroke and menapose effect. Nontheless, the symptoms of heart attack is quit different and also blood cloting process.
Until hypoestrogenic menopause, women show estrogen protective effcts , for example the HDL particle take lipoperoxides in conditions of oxidative stress protecting LDL from oxidation in subendothelial space and its undesiderable penetrationn into macrophague-foam cells , which in turn are precursors of atheroma plaque plenty of Oxidative modified LDL Men do not show this effect of functional HDL. and its CVD rik is higher. Post menopausal women lost HDl protective effect. This is only one of the diferences beetwen men and fertile age women.
Why women with N-STEMI have worse outcomes compared to their male peers?
I think there are several factors to consider. Premenopausal women have a protective hormonal effect, if nevertheless have an acute coronary syndrome I should think that there are additional risk factors to the man and remain after, conferring greater risk. In the case of postmenopausal women, the protective factor disappears and only the type of distribution of adipose tissue; this feature if it matters or not, I think it remains to be proven. Another issue is that of the prior existence of primary dyslipidaemia, NIDDM or IRC, in these cases I do not think that evolution is clearly different.
Also some researches have shown that women with CVD are undergiagnosed (due to misperception of importance of CVD in women compared to men), women are less likely to receive reperfusion therapy and in case of procedures they have more adverse events and complications. After adjustment for age and comorbidieies (dyslipidemia, NIDDM as Juan mentioned) women with CHD have worse outcomes compared to men. So,besides thinking on CHD in women 65+ (in post-menopausal age), perhaps we should pay more attention and think CHD even in younger women?
Women have 'Silent heart attacks' as the symptoms are different from classical substernal pain. Often they are related with gastric discomfort. Hence diagnosis of CVD in postmenopausal women occurs later when the disease has progressed to a severe stage or sometimes even after death. Postmenopausal period is itself an important risk factor for CVD in women.
Maybe you can contact cardiologist Dr. Janneke Wittekoek from the Netherlands, she has been specialising in cardiovascular disease among women and has written a book about the heart of a women. She if contributing to research and wants more awareness for the heart of a women and cardiovascular disease among women ;)
good luck!