Heart disease and treatment differ for men and women
We all know men are from Mars and women are from Venus – but the differences still apply when we look at heart problems and the way to treat them.
A new study suggests that heart disease is different for men and women, and the same therapies don’t work for both sexes, either.
Heart failure, for example, affects women at an older age, and even when their heart is still strong, compared with men. Women are more prone to develop hypertension and valvular disease, while men are more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease. And while women live longer with heart disease, their quality of life tends to be lower.
Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio also found that some heart medications are not as effective in women, while they may respond better to beta blockers and pacemakers.
(Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2009; 54: 491-8).