When asked if women actually have fewer heart attacks than men, Dr Vivek Chaturvedi, Professor & HOD, Department of Cardiology, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad said, “The answer is Yes and No. Women tend to be relatively immune to heart attacks before menopause. But with the presence of diabetes and high blood pressure so common in India, this protection against heart disease is diminished. Also, after menopause, this protective layer is lost and they are just as susceptible to heart attacks as men.” He also said obesity is another high risk factor in women.
Let’s find out the science behind it. Dr Arindam Pande, Consultant – Cardiovascular Services, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata: “From lungs and brain to muscles and joints, men and women are different anatomically and physiologically. The cardiovascular systems of men and women are also different. Women’s heart and blood vessels are smaller than men’s. These variations can cause heart disease in women to develop differently than in men.
Also Read: Silent Heart Attack Symptoms People May Miss
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are more common in men at a younger age than in women. This is because the hormone estrogen is produced when women are menstruating, which protects them from heart attacks.
According to Dr. OP Yadava, Executive Director, National Heart Institute, “The estimated incidence of heart attacks in women and men under the age of 40 is 1:10. However, the risk in women begins to increase after 45. By the time they are 60, their risk is the same as for men, possibly slightly higher.”
Diabetes and high cholesterol are two comorbidities caused by menopause and ultimately play an important role in heart attacks. Due to genetic factors, women are sometimes more at risk of having a heart attack or heart disease even at a younger age.
Signs of a heart attack
Dr Arindam Pande shared that in heart failure, nausea is a typical symptom of a heart attack, especially in women. Other symptoms are shortness of breath, persistent cough or wheezing accompanied by white or pink mucus accompanied by blood, excess fluid in body tissues such as swelling of the abdomen, swelling of the legs, ankles or feet, as well as weight gain. Other signs are impaired thinking and heart palpitations like pounding, fluttering, skipping or racing.
Don’t take it lightly!
Despite the protection that estrogen gives a woman against a heart attack, a woman must not think she is immune to it. If she doesn’t exercise regularly, eats out food, doesn’t maintain her ideal weight, there’s a problem for them too. Doctors feel women should take better care of themselves than men!
