Women More Likely To Deal With Heart Issues When Stress Is Involved

Findings presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions' 2014 show that young women who dealing with heart issues are more likely to be affected by emotional stress than young men. However, researchers noted that stress was likely to affect older individuals equally.

"There's a very interesting paradox concerning young women and chronic heart disease," said study researcher Dr. Viola Vaccarino, chairwoman of cardiovascular research and epidemiology at Emory University's School of Public Health in Atlanta, GA, via LiveScience. "They have higher mortality and complication rates after heart attacks compared with men of the same age."

For the study, researchers recruited 534 participants with stable coronary heart disease. They measured the blood flow of the heart via nuclear imaging when participants underwent mental health stress tests.

Results revealed that women 55 and younger experienced reduced blood flow that was greater than men of the same age by three times. However, this was not true in men.

"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," concluded researchers, in a news release.