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HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, smoking and diabetes increase the risk of heart attacks in both sexes but have more impact on women than they do in men, a new study has found.
The study, published by the BMJ today, outlined that men are at greater risk of heart attacks than women overall.
However, several studies have suggested that certain risk factors have more of an impact on the risk in women than in men.
To look at this association more closely, researchers examined data on almost half a million people enrolled in the UK Biobank – a database of biological information from British adults.
The 471,998 people had no history of cardiovascular disease, were aged 40 to 69, and 56% of them were women.
Risk factors
Over an average of seven years, 5,081 people (29% of whom were women) had their first heart attack. This means that the incidence of heart attacks was 7.79 per 10,000 person years in women, compared to 24.35 per 10,000 person years in men.
High blood pressure, diabetes and smoking increased the risk of heart attacks in both sexes. However, their impact was far greater in women.
Smoking increased a woman’s risk of a heart attack by 55% more than it increased the risk in a man.
High blood pressure increased a woman’s risk of heart attack by an extra 83% relative to its effect in a man.
Type 2 diabetes, which is usually associated with poor diet and other lifestyle factors, had a 47% greater impact on the heart attack risk of a woman than a man, while Type 1 diabetes had an almost three times greater impact in a woman.
Cause and effect
The authors believe that this study is the first to analyse both absolute and relative differences in heart attack risk between the sexes across a range of risk factors in a general population.
However, they emphasise that it is an observational study, and therefore no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect.
“The presence of hypertension, smoking and diabetes were associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction in both women and men, but with an excess relative risk among women,” the authors said.
Women should, at least, receive the same access to guideline-based treatments for diabetes and hypertension, and to resources to help lose weight and stop smoking as do men.
While the overall impact of smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes on heart attack risk decreased in both sexes with age, the greater risk these factors had on the risk of heart attacks in women relative to their impact in men persisted.
“Rising prevalence of lifestyle-associated risk factors, coupled with the ageing population, is likely to result in women having a more similar overall rate of myocardial infarction than men than is the case at present, with a subsequent significant additional burden on society and health resources,” the authors warned.
I was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (leaky heart valve) 2 years ago on top of Ankylosing Spondylitis. And yet, like a complete tool I still smoke! It’s like a constant cycle of anxiety due to worrying about my heart stopping. I’m also due to have a defibrillator installed soon, and three fused discs removed. Lost my job back in January partly due to health. So I continue to smoke and curse myself every time I light up! It just seems never ending, I’m 45, sorry for ranting
@John Murray: Try cbd/thc for relief
@John Murray: cut down by reducing the amount of puffs for example smoke a full cigarette next one smoke less leaving a cigarette unfinished , next time light that one up. That the first step the next step is to lengthen the time between smoking. Until your down to one small cigarette a day then you can stop. Another point is do not think stop smoking is forever these taught at the start of an additiction make it very hard to give up, gradual withdrawal leads to successful quitting smoking for good because your nose and taste buds return. Good luck. My father died from smoking due to heart attack in hospital. Give yourself a pat on the back for every time you lengthen the time between smoking.
@John Murray: read the book stop smoking permanently by Allen Carr and chain smoke while reading it. Made me sick and haven’t smoked since. Honestly can’t recommend it enough.
Ahhh the days when you could light up in the hospital bed .
Bejesus, I thought women lived longer than men.
@Paul Mc: They do. Average life span for a woman is about 5 years longer than for a man.
Can the mythical patriarchy be blamed for this?
Need to stop smoking, O l know it takes some strong will. I know someone with SA and who runs 5K three times a week, and plays tennis a couple of times a week
, and works full time, so it is possiblr
.
Twelve months ago I constantly had to go to the bathroom. I thought it was because I gave up soft drinks and was only drinking water. One day I had a stomachache. I was in bed for 4 days. The doctor’s appointment was for a Wednesday. I got sick and went to emergency room on a Monday. I was told my blood sugar level was 810 and I have diabetes. I was taking taking metformin 1000 mg twice daily. It Wasn’t really helping Last year, a family friend told me about Organic Herbal clinic and their successful Diabetes TREATMENT, I visited their website ww w . organicherbalclinic. co m and ordered their Diabetes Formula, i am happy to report the treatment effectively treated and reversed my Diabetes, most of the symptoms stopped, I’m able to eat well, sleep well and exercise regularly., I’m pretty active now and my attitude is extremely positive.
Great article! Heart disease is a major complication of lupus. It is now a leading cause of death among people with lupus. Blood tests, chest X-rays, an electrocardiogram, or an echocardiogram may be used to find out if you have a heart condition caused by lupus.
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