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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 13, 2014 5:09 PM IST
Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, this is a common expression used to describe how different and and women are. But now there is scientific research to back this claim. In a new study, researchers have found that stress has very different effects on the hearts of men and women. While men have more changes in blood pressure and heart rate in response to mental stress, more women experience myocardial ischemia - decreased blood flow to the heart, it found. For the results, researchers from the Duke Heart Centre at Duke University looked at 56 women and 254 men diagnosed with heart disease induced by mental stress.
'The findings revealed that mental stress affects the cardio-vascular health of men and women differently. We need to recognise this difference when evaluating and treating patients for cardio-vascular disease,' said Zainab Samad, study lead author and assistant professor of medicine at the Duke University in the US. (Read: Heart disease kills one in three women)
After undergoing baseline testing, participants carried out three mentally stressful tasks - a mental arithmetic test, a mirror tracing test, and an anger recall test followed by a treadmill exercise test. During mental stress tasks and rest periods between tests, researchers conducted echocardiography to study changes in the heart, took blood samples, and measured blood pressure and heart rate. (Read: Eating fruits and veggies can prevent heart disease in women)
Researchers also found that women experienced a greater platelet aggregation, the precursor to the formation of blood clots, than men. 'The women compared with men also expressed a greater increase in negative emotions and a greater decrease in positive emotions during the mental stress tests,' Samad informed. The study appeared in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. (Read: Why women are at a greater risk of heart disease than men)
Following reasons have made women more prone to heart disease:
Increased stress: Majority of women in urban cities have to handle their work life and responsibilities at home. Hectic schedules make their life more stressful, increasing their risk of heart disease.
Smoking and drinking: It s surprising to see the rise in the number of women smokers these days. According to recent estimates, of the more than 5 million people who die every year from tobacco use, approximately 1.5 million are women.
Use of oral contraceptives and hormone therapy: Earlier when the risk of heart disease was found to be greater in post menopausal women, it was clear that reproductive cycle has some role to play in preventing heart disease in women. Researchers believe that oral contraceptive pills used for birth control increases the risk of blood clots (thrombosis). According to the Women s Health Initiative there is clearly an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women taking menopausal hormone therapy. Read more about Why are women more prone to heart disease?
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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