New study finds lifestyle risks weigh heavier on women’s hearts

Lifestyle and health factors that are linked with heart disease appear to have a greater impact on cardiovascular risk in women than men, according to a Sunnybrook-led study being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

While factors such as diet, exercise, smoking and blood pressure have long been linked with heart disease risk, the new study is the first to show that these associations are collectively stronger in women than men. The findings suggest that sex-specific screening or risk assessment approaches could give a more accurate picture of cardiovascular risk and better motivate people to adopt heart-healthy habits.

“For the same level of health, our study shows that the increase in risk [related to each factor] is higher in women than in men—it’s not one-size-fits-all,” said Dr. Maneesh Sud, interventional cardiologist and clinician-scientist in the Schulich Heart Program and the study’s lead author. “This is novel and something that hasn’t been seen in other studies.”

The study focused on eight factors associated with heart disease: diet, sleep, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure. Overall, the results showed that women were more likely to have fewer negative risk factors and more positive ones compared with men. However, women with more negative risk factors faced a more pronounced increase in their chance of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event compared to men with a similar risk factor profile.

“We found that women tend to have better health than men, but the impact on outcomes is different,” says Dr. Sud. “The combination of these factors has a bigger impact in women than it does in men.”

Read more in the full release from the American College of Cardiology.