Women with these unhealthy lifestyle habits face higher heart disease risk
A new study conducted by researchers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto has shed light on the impact of lifestyle and health factors on heart disease risk, particularly in women. The study, which will be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, found that eight specific habits including diet, sleep, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood glucose, lipids, and blood pressure have twice the impact on heart health risk for women compared to men.
The researchers analyzed data from over 175,000 Canadian adults who enrolled in the Ontario Health Study between 2009 and 2017. They tracked the participants’ scores for the eight risk factors and monitored the incidence of seven heart disease outcomes over an 11-year period, including heart attack, stroke, unstable angina, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure, coronary revascularization, and cardiovascular death.
Overall, women were found to have better health than men, with more women having ideal health and fewer having poor health. However, women with poor health were shown to have nearly five times the risk of heart disease compared to women with ideal health, while men with poor health had 2.5 times the risk.
Lead author Dr. Maneesh Sud noted that the combination of these factors has a bigger impact on women than men, and that sex-specific screening or risk assessment approaches could more accurately predict heart disease risk.
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health, suggested that women may be more susceptible to heart disease due to hormonal shifts such as pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. Estrogen, which is cardio-protective, drops significantly during menopause, while cholesterol and weight may increase.
Dr. Bradley Serwer, a Maryland-based cardiologist, emphasized the need for more research on women’s cardiovascular risk factors, as traditional approaches to primary prevention may not be as effective for women. He commended the authors of the study for challenging conventional notions and urged further investigation into the underlying reasons for women’s increased susceptibility to heart disease.
In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of considering sex-specific factors in assessing heart disease risk and developing preventive strategies. More research is needed to fully understand the impact of lifestyle and health factors on women’s cardiovascular health.
