Early on, studies detected that, before the age of 50, men have a higher short-term risk of coronary disease. Using Framingham 10-year risk scoring, a comparison of a man and a woman and their risk factors is provided below.
Women who reach age 50 with few or no risk factors for heart disease
tend to live much longer lives.
|Total Cholesterol||240 mg/dL||240 mg/dL|
|HDL Cholesterol||42 mg/dL||42 mg/dL|
|Systolic Blood Pressure||140 mm Hg||140 mm Hg|
|Currently on medication
to treat high blood pressure
Because of the disparity in short-term risk between men and women, prevention and education efforts have traditionally targeted men. But now that's changing because it's become increasingly apparent that coronary heart disease significantly affects women, too.
A study that looked at the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease found that people who have certain risk factors at age 50 -- such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or overweight or obesity -- are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and to have a shorter life span.
In comparison, those who have no risk factors at age 50 are unlikely to develop cardiovascular disease and are likely to have a longer life span. Those men and women who had fewer than two risk factors at age 50 lived an average of 11 years and 8 years longer, respectively, compared with men and women who had two or more risk factors.
The key message is this: If a woman were to embrace healthy habits early on so that she had fewer risk factors when she reached age 50, she may have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a markedly longer life.
As women age, though, their risk will increase. Find out why menopause might be a major factor on the next page.
For more information on coronary heart disease, see:
- Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease in Women: Women typically do not have obvious signs of heart disease, making it difficult to diagnose. Find out who should get tested.
- Diagnosing Coronary Heart Disease in Women: A range of tests are available if your risk is higher than 5 percent. Learn what these are, and why some aren't always accurate.
- Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease in Women: Traditional treatment isn't always effective in women. Learn about lifestyle changes to keep your heart healthy.
- Coronary Heart Disease: This condition is the culmination of years of plaque buildup in the arteries. Find out how to prevent it.