Have you, like many other people, heard it said that women have a lower risk of having a heart attack? This statement is supported by a number of research, as well as by medical professionals (to a certain extent). The female hormone known as oestrogen is rumoured to play a protective role for women and is where the answer to this riddle might be found. But can we take every word of this claim at face value? In order to gain a better understanding of the heart dangers women face, we consulted three different doctors.
Dr. Vivek Chaturvedi, Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiology at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad, responded with “The answer is both Yes and No” when asked if women really are less likely to suffer from heart attacks than males. Before menopause, women often have a greater degree of immunity to heart attacks than men do. This protection against cardiovascular disease is, however, significantly reduced when the patient also has diabetes or high blood pressure, both of which are extremely prevalent in India. In addition, once women reach menopause, this protection is gone, and they are just as prone to having a heart attack as males. He also mentioned that being obese is another major risk factor for women.
Let’s get a grasp on the science that underlies it. Men and women have different anatomy and physiology in a variety of areas, including the lungs, the brain, the muscles, and the joints. Dr. Arindam Pande, Consultant – Cardiology Services at Medica Superspeciality Hospital in Kolkata, shares, “From the lungs and brain to the muscles and joints, men and women are different. There are significant differences between the cardiovascular systems of males and women. Both the heart and the blood vessels in a woman are significantly smaller than those in a man. Because of these differences, heart disease can manifest itself in women in a manner that is distinct from how it manifests in men.
Men typically experience symptoms of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) at an earlier age than women do on average. This is because a woman’s body produces oestrogen hormones, which prevent them from having a heart attack, when she reaches the age when she begins to menstruate.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the National Heart Institute, Dr. OP Yadava, “The anticipated ratio of heart attacks in women and males below the age of 40 is 1:10. However, the risk begins to increase after the age of 45 in women. As soon as they reach the age of 60, their risk is comparable to that of men, and it may even be significantly higher.
Diabetes and high cholesterol are two co-morbid conditions that are brought on by menopause and, in the end, have a substantial role in the occurrence of heart attacks. Even in younger age categories, certain women have a higher risk of heart attack or heart disease due to inherited factors. This can happen at any stage in a woman’s life.
Warning signs of a heart attack
In the case of heart failure, nausea is a common sign of a heart attack, and Dr. Arindam Pande explains that this is especially true for women. Other symptoms include difficulty breathing, a persistent cough or wheezing, with white or pink mucus that contains blood, excess fluid in the body’s tissues, such as abdominal swelling, foot, ankle, or leg swelling, and weight gain. Other symptoms include thinking difficulties as well as a quick heartbeat, which may be described as hammering, fluttering, skipping, or racing.
Don’t be so careless about it!
In spite of the fact that oestrogen can shield a woman from the risk of having a heart attack, a woman should never fool herself into believing that she is immune to the condition. If she does not engage in regular physical activity, consumes food from other sources, and does not maintain an appropriate weight, then this presents a problem for them as well. According to medical professionals, women have a greater responsibility to take care of themselves than males do.
