Contents:
- Medical Video: 10 Warning Signs Your Heart Isn't Working Properly
- Where does this come from?
- Why are heart attacks in women so risky?
- Special care and supervision of female patients with a heart attack in the first year
Medical Video: 10 Warning Signs Your Heart Isn't Working Properly
Heart attacks pose a greater threat to women than men. Because the risk of death for women a year after experiencing a heart attack is greater than men. How did it happen? Can it be prevented? Consider the following review.
Where does this come from?
Reporting from Science Daily, a team of experts at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has revealed that in the first year after women have had a heart attack, they are at a much higher risk of death than men. Scientists also urged doctors to provide intensive support to female patients with a history of heart attack, especially on the first 365 days (a year) after the event.
The risk of death mostly occurs in elderly women, women with more serious disease levels, and also influenced by the type of treatment they get.
An analysis published in the scientific journal PLOS One, researchers conducted a study of 802 men and women. Data taken included age, other history (diabetes and hypertension), smoking status, measures of heart function, and the type of treatment they received. After being examined for five years, in the first year, women 60 years of age were at higher risk of dying than men. Outside the first year, the death rates of men and women are no different.
"If we look at the full five-year study period after a heart attack, there is no extraordinary specific difference between the sexes if we adjust factors such as age, condition and type of treatment that accompanies it," Dr. Romy Ubrich. "But we were surprised by the data for the first 365 days after the incident: During that time, women were 1.5 times more likely to die than men."
Why are heart attacks in women so risky?
Based on research conducted by Dr. Romy Ubrich, by gathering data on 4,100 participants in ISAR-RISK and ART, there are several factors that cause the risk of death in women who have a heart attack higher in the first year than men. Here's the explanation.
- Women who are 10 years older than men are more likely to experience infarction (changes in blood circulation that cause a reduced supply of oxygen in the blood). In addition, having a history of other diseases such as diabetes also affects.
- Heart attacks in women rarely occur due to narrowing of local arteries, but because of coronary artery disease. More women are at risk of suffering from coronary artery disease, especially after menopause. In fact, a woman aged 50 years is at risk of developing this disease by 40 percent and causes death by 31 percent.
- Possible increase in depression in elderly women. According to, Prof. Georg Schmidt, a cardiologist in the internal medicine unit at TUM University Hospital, Rechts der Isar, social causes play an important role. "In everyday life, women often face different expectations after a heart attack than men. They are expected to start 'functioning' more quickly, which means they experience greater pressure, "said Georg Schmidt.
- There are biological differences such as small blood vessels of women which increase the risk of complications during angioplasty (a procedure to open a blockage or narrowing of the heart arteries).
Special care and supervision of female patients with a heart attack in the first year
Then, reported from WebMD, researchers analyzed data from regional registrations between January 2006 and December 2007 which included more than 3,500 patients, about a third of whom were women. Older women usually have more health problems and receive fewer effective treatments for heart attacks because most are not aware of the symptoms.
"Doctors must be aware of the patient's social situation and provide support. Especially if there are signs of depression, the doctor must be vigilant. If the indication is observed, it is important to refer patients quickly to specialists so that they can start therapy as soon as possible if needed, "said Dr. Georg Schmidt, TUM University cardiologist.
