Heart disease is an equal-opportunity killer. It’s America’s leading cause of death in both sexes. But it can affect women and men in very different ways.

Age-Old Questions Answered
Men generally develop heart disease at a younger age than women. But women catch up around age 65. After menopause begins, women are more apt to have high triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol.

Men, on the other hand, tend to have lower levels of HDL beginning at puberty, leading to their earlier heart disease risk.

Family Matters
Heart disease in a parent increases risk in both sexes, but it seems to hit men somewhat harder. This is especially true if the father was younger than age 55 or mother younger than age 65 when diagnosed. Fortunately, risk factors we can control—such as diet, smoking, and exercise—are more important in determining heart health than family history, says some research.

Different Tests for Different Genders?
Women’s clogged blood vessels are less likely than men’s to be detected with tests traditionally used to diagnose heart disease, such as exercise stress tests and electrocardiograms (ECG). So, they may be better served by certain blood tests, stress echocardiograms, and a type of electronic scan of the arteries called electron-beam tomography (EBT), suggests some new research. But a woman and her doctor can decide what types of screenings are best for her.

QUICKTIP
For more than 28 years, Western Baptist Hospital has provided advanced cardiac care to the region, with the first heart catheterization in 1977 and the first open heart surgery in 1985. Today, Western Baptist continues to make great strides in cardiac care. To learn more, call Baptist Health Line at 270-575-2918.