Understanding the heart attack gender gap

Imagine someone in the throes of a heart attack. If you pictured a man clutching his chest in agony, that’s understandable. At younger ages, men face a greater risk of heart disease than women. On average, a first heart attack — the most common manifestation of this prevalent disease — strikes men at age 65. For women, the average age of a first heart attack is 72. However, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both genders. In fact, since 1984, more women have died of heart disease than men each year, although that is partly because women generally live longer than men. So why do middle-aged men have more heart attacks than women in the same age group? Historically higher rates of unhealthy habits in men — such as smoking and stress — may be partly to blame. In addition, heart disease risk in women appears to rise after menopause; experts believe that in younger women, naturally occurring hormones may play a protective role. Yet despite considerable gains in the past decade or so, heart disease continues to be underrecognized as the leading cause of death in women, says Dr. Michelle O’Donoghue, a cardiovascular specialist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We need to make sure that women know — and act upon — the signs and symptoms of a heart attack,” she says. Different heart attack symptoms? Some studies suggest that during a heart attack, women are more likely to have “atypical” symptoms, s...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Heart Health Women's Health Source Type: news