The old saying goes: Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. This exaggeration is- well… an exaggeration, but there are some differences between male and female heart health that causes an inkling of truth to shine out through the expression. The most common kind of heart disease, among both men and women, is coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is caused when cholesterol plaque is built up inside the arteries, and if left untreated coronary artery disease can obstruct blood flow to the heart muscle and lead to a heart attack.

When experiencing a heart attack, the individual will usually experience chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain in their left arm, but these symptoms are not universal. Remember when we were talking about the differences between men and women? Women are more likely to experience uncommon heart attack symptoms than men are! These symptoms can include indigestion, pain in both arms, unusual fatigue and abdominal discomfort. Physicians are still uncertain why women are more likely to experience unusual symptoms. There are some theories about hormonal changes and the difference in valve and vessel sizes, but for the most part it is still unknown.

Lowering your risk of a heart attack, however, is not a mystery. Research shows staying active, eating healthy, and monitoring your blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly leads to decreased cardiovascular risk.  Research also shows that individuals involved in clinical research have better health care outcomes than those who are not.

We are currently enrolling in studies that may help you lower important factors like elevated triglycerides and cholesterol which may help lower your risk of cardiovascular events.

 

References:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heart_vascular_institute/centers_excellence/womens_cardiovascular_health_center/patient_information/health_topics/menopause_cardiovascular_system.html
https://www.lahey.org/article/differences-between-mens-and-womens-hearts/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018605/
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov