Risk factors for cardiac death in women with coronary artery disease
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Topic of the dissertation
Risk factors for cardiac death in women with coronary artery disease
Doctoral candidate
Licentiate of Medicine Ida King
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Medicine, Research unit of biomedicine and internal medicine
Subject of study
Cardiology
Opponent
Professor Jussi Hernesniemi, University of Tampere, Tampere University Hospital
Custos
Professor Juhani Junttila, Oulu university, Oulu University Hospital
Risk factors for cardiac death in women with coronary artery disease
Coronary artery disease remains one of the leading causes of death in Western countries, with nearly half of these deaths occurring suddenly, referred to as ischemic sudden cardiac death. Although women currently represent approximately 40% of patients with coronary artery disease, knowledge regarding the risk factors and underlying mechanisms of cardiac death in women remains limited, as previous research has predominantly focused on male populations. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to improve the understanding of cardiac death in women with coronary artery disease, with a particular emphasis on ischemic sudden cardiac death.
This doctoral thesis consists of three substudies. The first two substudies were based on the FinGesture dataset, comprising women who had died from sudden cardiac death. The first substudy demonstrated that left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial scarring are common and frequently undiagnosed findings in subjects with ischemic sudden cardiac death. These findings highlight the importance of previously unrecognized structural heart disease in the development of ischemic sudden cardiac death among women. The second substudy showed that the risk profile of ischemic sudden cardiac death changes with age. Older women more commonly exhibited structural myocardial alterations and myocardial scarring, whereas obesity-related characteristics were more prominent among younger women. The third substudy was based on a 10-year follow-up of women with coronary artery disease from the ARTEMIS cohort. In this substudy, cardiac mortality was associated particularly with more severe coronary artery disease, elevated blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism, and clinical markers reflecting myocardial injury and susceptibility to arrhythmias.
In conclusion, the risk of cardiac death in women with coronary artery disease is influenced by both structural myocardial abnormalities and clinical markers reflecting ischemia and metabolic imbalance. The risk factor profile changes with age. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying cardiac death in women and support the development of sex-specific approaches to risk assessment.
This doctoral thesis consists of three substudies. The first two substudies were based on the FinGesture dataset, comprising women who had died from sudden cardiac death. The first substudy demonstrated that left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial scarring are common and frequently undiagnosed findings in subjects with ischemic sudden cardiac death. These findings highlight the importance of previously unrecognized structural heart disease in the development of ischemic sudden cardiac death among women. The second substudy showed that the risk profile of ischemic sudden cardiac death changes with age. Older women more commonly exhibited structural myocardial alterations and myocardial scarring, whereas obesity-related characteristics were more prominent among younger women. The third substudy was based on a 10-year follow-up of women with coronary artery disease from the ARTEMIS cohort. In this substudy, cardiac mortality was associated particularly with more severe coronary artery disease, elevated blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism, and clinical markers reflecting myocardial injury and susceptibility to arrhythmias.
In conclusion, the risk of cardiac death in women with coronary artery disease is influenced by both structural myocardial abnormalities and clinical markers reflecting ischemia and metabolic imbalance. The risk factor profile changes with age. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying cardiac death in women and support the development of sex-specific approaches to risk assessment.
Created 18.5.2026 | Updated 18.5.2026