High blood pressure can be a ticking time bomb for heart issues.
Beta-blockers are often the go-to medication to keep it in check. But scientists from the University of Bologna in Italy stumbled upon a concerning fact.
They discovered that women taking beta-blockers to control high blood pressure had a higher risk of heart failure than men, especially when facing severe heart issues known as acute coronary syndrome.
The Heart of the Research
The researchers were curious about how beta-blockers affected men and women differently.
They were particularly interested in what would happen when these people experienced severe heart problems—what doctors call “acute coronary syndromes.”
Why focus on this? Well, acute coronary syndromes are a big deal. They include things like certain types of heart attacks and can be life-threatening.
What the Numbers Say
To get to the bottom of this, the scientists examined medical data from 13,764 adults across 12 European countries. These folks had high blood pressure but no history of heart issues.
They divided these people into different groups—men and women, and those taking beta-blockers versus those who weren’t. What they found was surprising:
Women on beta-blockers had a 4.6% higher rate of heart failure than men when experiencing severe heart problems.
The risk of dying from heart failure was seven times higher for both men and women compared to those who had a less severe type of heart problem.
Women facing a specific, severe type of heart attack had a 6.1% higher chance of heart failure than men experiencing the same type of attack.
Men and women not on beta-blockers had nearly the same rates of heart failure.
A Wake-Up Call for Women
The study suggests that women who only have high blood pressure (and no history of heart issues) should maybe rethink jumping straight to medication.
Instead, focusing on lifestyle changes like a better diet and more exercise could be a safer first step.
The researchers also hinted that hormone replacement therapy could be playing a part in this increased risk for women, although they haven’t verified this yet.
This study serves as an important reminder that not all medicine affects everyone the same way. When it comes to our hearts, it’s critical to consider individual factors like gender before choosing a treatment path.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and scientists find how COVID-19 damages the heart.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies that artificial sweeteners in food are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, and results showing people who have the lowest heart disease and stroke risks.
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