A woman’s heart is no sturdier than a man’s

This is probably one of the biggest health myths: that it’s just men who are at risk of heart disease. Researchers have now busted that myth.

Doctors note that statistics prove that women, especially those who have attained menopause, are prone to heart ailments, and also less likely than men to recover.

“It’s a myth that only men are at risk of cardiac ailments. While pre-menopausal women still do have some kind of protection (hormone oestrogen), after menopause, they are bereft of that. And the disease then is definitely more malignant than it is to men,” Mohan Nair, senior consultant on cardiology in Max Hospital, told IANS.

When it comes to numbers, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in men is still higher than women, but it is increasingly becoming common in the latter and the consequences much worse.

According to Pavan Kumar, consultant cardiovascular surgeon in the Lilavati and Nanvati hospitals, Mumbai, in the last nearly 30 years, more women have died from heart disease than men, since women are twice as likely to die within the first few weeks of suffering a heart attack than men.

“The number of cardiovascular diseases in women in India is increasing rapidly and accounts for 17 percent female mortality. Heart disease kills twice as many women as all cancers combined,” Kumar said.

One of the biggest reasons for women becoming victims to heart ailments is lifestyle-related.

“In the US and Europe, more women are taking up smoking, while men are quitting. In India too, you see a lot more women smoking these days. You have these fancy hookah bars which are also popular. Smoking again strips you of a protective cover and is a big contributing factor to heart ailments,” Nair said.

Kamaldeep Singh, consultant cardiologist at Columbia Asia Hospital in Gurgaon, agrees. “There is a rise in the number of women suffering from cardiovascular problems. One of the reasons for it is smoking. To add to that is the increase in the level of stress that women face – work-related or whatever,” Singh told IANS.

Obesity, hypertension, diabetes and depression are other risk factors.

What is worrying is the lack of the awareness that the symptoms that your heart’s functioning is not right are different in men and women, Singh added.

“Unlike in men, where chest pain in the centre is one of the symptoms, in women, the signs are much more subtle. There is no severe chest pain, but a general weakness and discomfort. This leads to women ignoring the problem until late,” he said.

“Also, in women, coronary artery disease usually affects the smaller arteries, which causes less severe symptoms. But the outcome is much worse,” Singh added.

According to S.K. Gupta, cardiologist at Apollo hospital, the possible reason why women do not recover as well as men when they are affected by cardiovascular diseases is because of their physiological differences.

“One of the possible reasons is the difference in the physical attributes between men and women, which is why it’s easier for men to sustain a cardiac arrest or some other ailment than women,” Gupta told IANS.

Another feature of women – that of high tolerance for pain – may also act against them in this case.

“Women have a tendency to underplay the symptoms. If there is a mild pain, they will ignore it as gas. If a man has a pain, he is more likely to seek help, and that helps detect the problem. So there needs to be an attitudinal change,” he added.

For women in the menopausal age and others, the only way out to cut the risk factor is keeping fit. It could be through regular exercising, controlling cholesterol levels, diabetes and hypertension, cutting down on alcohol and salt intake, and kicking the butt.

“According to WHO, cardiovascular disease tops the chart of non-communicable diseases which lead to mortality. And India is right on top. This is a huge burden, and is a major cause of concern,” Nair said.

“Since Indians are so prone to heart diseases, more care should be taken to cut the risk factors,” he added.