The most common type of heart disease in women is coronary artery disease, which occurs due to build up of plaque in the inner walls of the arteries that supply the heart.
Coronary artery disease can lead to serious heart problems, including a heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac arrest.
One in four women in the United States dies from heart disease, meaning, despite popular belief, it’s not a condition unique to men.
Coronary artery disease is a condition in which plaque builds up on the inner walls of your coronary arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.
Plaque can affect the heart in two ways:
The buildup of plaque can narrow coronary arteries over time. This reduces blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to symptoms such as angina. Angina is chest pain or discomfort.
Plaque can suddenly rupture or crack, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of plaque. The blood clot can rapidly block blood flow within the artery and, if it becomes large enough, can completely block blood flow to parts of the heart muscle. This is the most common cause of a heart attack.
Men vs. women
What can differ between women and men is a disease called coronary microvascular disease, which is a type of heart disease that affects the heart’s smallest arteries. Recently, studies have shown women are more likely than men to have coronary microvascular disease.
In coronary microvascular disease, the walls of the heart’s tiny arteries are damaged or diseased; the heart’s tiny arteries don’t relax properly and can spasm or tighten; and standard tests for coronary artery disease don’t always detect coronary microvascular disease in women. As a result, women are often thought to be at low risk for the condition. Research is ongoing to learn more about coronary microvascular disease and its causes.
‘Broken heart’ syndrome
Women are more likely than men to develop a condition called ‘broken heart‘ syndrome. In this recently recognised heart problem, extreme emotional stress can lead to reversible heart muscle failure.
However, there’s no evidence of blocked heart arteries in broken heart syndrome, and most people have a full and quick recovery.
Outlook
Coronary artery disease remains the No. 1 killer of women in the US. However, women tend to develop the condition about 10 years later than men.
Women are also more likely to die following a heart attack compared to men. This is due, in part, to being older and having other significant health problems when a heart attack is likely to occur.
What to do
The good news is that you can take steps to control coronary artery disease risk factors. Risk factors are conditions or habits that increase your chances of developing the disease and having a heart attack. Uncontrolled risk factors also can increase your chance that existing coronary artery disease will worsen.
Lifestyle changes, medicines, and/or medical or surgical procedures can help women reduce their risk of coronary artery disease. That’s why early and ongoing prevention is so important.
Dr. Manish Chauhan is a board-certified cardiologist at Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital and Global Health Texas and is a presenter at the 2012 Heart Health Fair organised by Cayman Heart Fund.
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