A new study from Yale University has found that men and women under the age of 55 face different risks when it comes to heart attacks.
While many people think of heart attacks as something that happens mostly to older adults, this research focused on younger people and discovered that the causes can be very different depending on whether you’re male or female.
The researchers studied data from over 2,200 people who had heart attacks and compared them to another 2,200 people who had not. They looked at many possible risk factors to find out which ones were more likely to lead to heart attacks in young men and women. What they found was surprising.
For young women, the biggest risk factor was diabetes. Other important risks included smoking, depression, high blood pressure, having a family history of heart attacks, high cholesterol, and low household income.
All of these factors made it more likely for women to have a heart attack, but diabetes stood out as the most dangerous. Depression and poverty also played a big role, showing that emotional and financial stress can hurt heart health.
On the other hand, for young men, the main risk factors were smoking and family history. While other things like high blood pressure and cholesterol mattered too, they didn’t affect men as much as they did women.
This means that certain health problems have a much bigger effect on women’s hearts than on men’s, especially in younger adults. For example, diabetes, depression, and poverty were far more likely to lead to heart attacks in women under 55.
In total, the seven main risk factors studied—diabetes, smoking, depression, high blood pressure, family history, high cholesterol, and low income—explained most of the heart attack cases in both groups. About 84% of heart attacks in women and 85% in men were linked to these factors. That shows how important it is to pay attention to them.
However, because these risks don’t affect men and women equally, the study suggests that we need different ways to help each group. Women and men need different kinds of support and treatment to prevent heart problems.
Raising awareness is key. Campaigns like the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” can help young women understand their heart risks and take action early. This includes getting regular check-ups, managing blood pressure and diabetes, and seeking help for depression.
Doctors also need to play their part by using personalized care based on the latest evidence. For women, that might mean paying extra attention to blood sugar, mental health, and financial stress. For men, focusing on smoking and family history could be more helpful.
This study, led by researcher Yuan Lu and published in JAMA Network Open, shows that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work when it comes to heart health. By understanding the different ways that heart attack risks show up in men and women, we can help more people stay healthy and prevent heart attacks at a younger age.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about why light-to-moderate drinking is linked to better heart health and reconsidering the long-term use of high blood pressure beta blockers after a heart attack.
For more about heart health, please read studies about heart disease hidden and essential vitamins for heart health: a guide to a healthy heart.
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