:
Subjects affected by ischemic heart disease with non-obstructive coronary arteries constitute a population
that has received increasing attention over the past two decades. Since the first studies with coronary angiography, female
patients have been reported to have non-obstructive coronary artery disease more frequently than their male counterparts,
both in stable and acute clinical settings. Although traditionally considered a relatively infrequent and low-risk form of
myocardial ischemia, its impact on clinical practice is undeniable, especially when it comes to infarction, where the
prognosis is not as benign as previously assumed. Unfortunately, despite increasing awareness, there are still several
questions left unanswered regarding diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment. The purpose of this review is to provide a
state of the art and an update on current evidence available on gender differences in clinical characteristics, management
and prognosis of ischemic heart disease with non-obstructive coronary arteries, both in the acute and stable clinical
setting.