A new study found that young women with heart disease, who are suffering from mental stress, are three times more likely to die from a heart attack than men.
Symptoms of a heart attack can vary in men and women, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Men experience chest pressure while women experience shortness of breath, pain in the lower or upper abdomen, dizziness, fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.
Heart attacks are the number one killer for both men and women, but a new study suggests that women are at higher risk of death than men because of mental stress.
Researchers from Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Georgia, recruited 534 participants to undergo both a mental stress test and physical stress test. The participants were between the ages of 38 and 79, and were diagnosed with stable coronary heart disease.
During the mental stress test, the participants had to think of a stressful life situation and then share it with the audience. While they shared their stories, researchers took images of the participants' hearts through nuclear imaging. They also monitored the changes in blood pressure and blood flow.
The mental stress test showed that women had three times greater reduction in blood flow to the heart compared to men who underwent the same test. The physical stress test, on the other hand, found no significant difference on the level of stress that both genders experienced while running on a treadmill.
Researchers attributed the higher level of mental stress seen in women to their regular exposure to stressful activities such as taking care of their children, marriages, jobs and the elderly (meaning parents/relatives).
Researchers suggested that women with heart disease should seek preventive treatments to decrease their risk of suffering from a heart attack.
"If they note that their patient is under psychological stress or is depressed, they should advise the woman to get relevant help or support from mental health providers, stress reduction programs or other means," Dr. Viola Vaccarino, study author and chairwoman of Cardiovascular Research and Epidemiology at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Georgia, said in a news release.
The research was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
