Reviewer ’s report  
Title: The Women's Heart Health Programme: A Pilot Trial  Of Sex -Specific Cardiovascular 
Management  
 
Version: 0 Date: 29 Sep 2017  
 
Revi ewer: Joel W. Hughes  
 
Reviewer's report:  
This interesting study evaluates a small trial of sex specific management of cardiovascular risk 
factors. Specifically, women were treated by an all -woman interdisciplinary team.  
 
Is it true that there are no evaluations of the effects of a dedicated women's heart health program? 
I would be surprised if this has not been studied before.  
 
All patients were general outpatient cardiology patients. The age range included young women 
who were 21 years of age. This seems very young for heart disease. What kind of heart disease 
did a 21 -year-old woman have?  
 
Routing the health promotion activities in the patient's culture is a strength. However, what 
should the reader know about the culture of a woman in Singapore?  
 
In the results, .603% is unclear. Is this less than 1% or .63 percentage points?  
 
The conclusio ns are appropriately tentative.  
 
It will be hard to attribute group differences to the intervention because any special program 
compared to usual care may be more intense or have a higher perceived quality because it is 
"special" and because the staff are enthusiastic about their participation in a special program.  
 
I did not see any information on the number of patients approached relative to those who 
enrolled. I did not see any information on dropout from the treatment and control group. A 
CONSORT style  figure would've been helpful.  
 
Continued evaluation of gender specific heart programs is needed to provide supportive evidence 
for this important endeavor.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comme nts to the authors.  
Yes 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are you able to assess any st atistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
Acceptable  
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