Heart diseases have emerged as the leading cause for fatalities in men and women world over and also in India. The risk of heart diseases to both sexes is grave, but heart diseases affect men and women differently.
Over one crore annual deaths are reported in India and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) cause 20.3 percent deaths in men and 16.9 percent deaths in women. Despite having a lower mortality rate than men, reports have often suggested that women are more at risk of CVD related deaths.Another Indian study reports that the incidence of sudden cardiac death is estimated to be higher in men by three to four times than in women. It is also reported that around 75 percent of sudden cardiac deaths happen in men.So, there does not seem to be a conclusive understanding on whose heart is more at risk when it comes to cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Vanita Arora of Max Super Specialty Hospital has listed the following points:-How Heart Diseases Affect Men and Women DifferentlyThe biology and physiology of both men and women are significantly different, which defines how we cope with various diseases. Heart diseases affect men and women in following different ways:Cholesterol blockages: The deposition of cholesterol in the arteries of heart occurs more in the surface of the large arteries of heart, while in women it occurs in smaller vessels. This creates false indications of heart attack in women only to be revealed that the major arteries are doing fine.
Deposits in small arteries can cause major risk: Just that the smaller vessels are getting affected early due to cholesterol deposits does not mean the patient isn’t at risk. They may prove to be silent killers as symptoms may not be as pronounced as they are in the case of Comparatively, bypass surgeries are easier to be performed in major arteries.
