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Women with clogged arteries are at greater risk of heart attack than men. In fact, they need more powerful treatments in post menopause, say researchers.
Heart attack is often considered a “man’s business”. However, women are also struck by this cardiovascular emergency; and therefore require appropriate treatment. Conclusions available within The European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging.
Better assess the impact of atherosclerosis according to gender
Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of the arteries due to deposits of fat and cholesterol which form atherosclerotic plaques. In general, women develop atherosclerosis later than men and have heart attacks later in life partly due to the protective effect of estrogen.
But the study wanted to know whether atherosclerotic plaques pose the same risk for women and men at different ages. This data would make it possible to select the best treatments to prevent heart attacks. A total of 24,950 patients from North America, Europe and Asia underwent Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA). This examination provides 3D images of the arteries of the heart.
Women’s coronary arteries are narrower
Result: The researchers found that the women’s coronary arteries appeared to be slightly narrower than those of the men, so “the same amount of fatty plaque causes a relatively higher degree of obstruction and therefore has a greater impact on blood flow“, notes Anja Wagner, cardiologist at the center.
Another factor highlighted: women with the same cardiovascular risks as men “are less likely to receive appropriate treatment“. In fact, they run more risks during the same heart attack.
Also, since estrogen levels decline during menopause (female hormones that protect the heart, editor’s note), women seem to be more vulnerable to the effects of these heart problems, the researchers believe.
Adapt treatments for women
Adapting treatments intended for women therefore seems necessary to better prevent heart attacks.
“Our results indicate that after menopause, women may require a higher dose of statins or the addition of another lipid-lowering drug“, confirms Sophie van Rosendael, author of the study.
Further studies are needed to confirm these results, which could have practical consequences for cardiovascular prevention in women.