- Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of the arteries due to plaque deposits that stick to the arteries.
- Researchers say that women over 55 who have this condition are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks, than men of the same age group.
- Experts say women of all ages can improve their cardiovascular health by keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check and not smoking.
Postmenopausal women are more prone to heart attacks than men of the same age who have blocked arteries.
That’s how it is. Research It is being presented at the recently published scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Giving an image.
Researchers have found that plaque is more dangerous in postmenopausal women than in men of the same age.
“The study suggests that atherosclerosis, a type of high blood pressure, is more dangerous in postpartum women than in men of the same age.” Dr. Sophia van RosendaelThe author of the study and a researcher at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands press release.
He added, “The findings may have implications for treatment, as the burden of atherosclerotic plaque is emerging as a target for determining the dose of treatment to prevent heart failure.” Our results suggest that postmenopausal women may require higher doses of statin or other lipid-lowering drugs. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
The study involved nearly 25,000 people in six countries in North America, Europe and Asia.
An imaging technique called coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) was used to create 3D images of the blood vessels in the heart.
Atherosclerosis It is when the arteries are narrowed due to the accumulation of plaque.
In the United States it is estimated
The researchers investigated whether the presence of atherosclerosis had the same significance in the prognosis for men and women of the same age.
The onset of atherosclerosis in women is delayed for 12 years.
The presence of plaque was found to be equally predictive of major adverse cardiovascular events in men and women younger than 55 years of age.
However, in women 55 and older and in the postmenopausal group, the incidence of cardiovascular problems is higher than in men of the same age group.
Among postmenopausal women with moderate or high plaque burden, the risk of developing severe cardiovascular disease was 2.21 to 6.11 times higher.
“In this study, the higher risk in women and men was observed, especially in postmenopausal women. This may be partly because the internal diameter of the coronary arteries is smaller in women, which means that a plaque of the same size has a greater impact on blood flow,” van Rozendael said.
“Our findings suggest that postmenopausal accelerated progression of atherosclerosis is associated with a higher risk in women compared to men, despite a similar burden of atherosclerotic disease.” This may have implications for treatment rates,” she added.
Dr. Abha KhandelwalThe findings aren’t surprising, says Dr. A., an assistant professor of cardiology at Stanford University in California, who was not involved in the study.
“Clinically, we see that there are general changes that occur around menopause and many of them have a significant impact on the cardiovascular status of women. in order to. During menopause, it is very common for women to have abnormalities in their blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight. So I always ask my patients to reevaluate around that time,” she said. Medical news today.
“During menopause, in particular, women go through a lot of cardiometabolic changes, but also a lot of mood changes, depression levels can be high, sleep is disturbed. All of these things we know can affect cardiac outcomes when left untreated,” Khandelwal added.
Experts say there are a number of steps women can take even before menopause to help protect their cardiovascular health.
“At every age, there is an opportunity for every patient to work with their doctor to improve a healthy lifestyle, diagnose atherosclerosis, or diagnose the underlying causes of atherosclerosis, including high blood levels of this sticky plaque. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, family history, vasculitis or inflammation of the blood vessels, certain autoimmune conditions, and others, then keep an eye on these. Dr. Sarah van der ZAccording to a cardiac electrophysiologist and cardiologist at Providence St. John’s Health Center in California, Medical news today.
“Therefore, there are preventative options that a woman can identify with her doctor, address them, and prevent them from becoming a problem. This is especially important after menopause, but it is really an important process to start even earlier if possible,” she added.