Khaberni - A recent scientific study has revealed that men develop heart and vascular diseases at an earlier age than women, confirming the continuing time gap between the genders as shown by previous historical data up to the present time.
According to the study published in the journal of the "American Heart Association", the appearance of heart diseases, especially coronary artery disease, occurs several years earlier in men than in women, according to the "News Medical" site.
The study was based on the data of the "Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults" research, a long-term project involving adults in the United States aged between 18 and 30 at the start of the follow-up during 1985 and 1986, which continued until August 2020, allowing the tracking of the progression of cardiovascular diseases from early youth to middle age.
Clear Differences
The analyses included 5,112 participants, with women comprising 54.5% of them, while African Americans made up 51.6% of the sample, with an average age at the start of the study of 24.8 years, while the average follow-up period reached 34.1 years.
During the follow-up period, men recorded higher cumulative rates of cardiovascular disease compared to women, with a clear increase in the rates of coronary artery disease and heart failure, with no significant differences between the genders regarding stroke.
The results showed that men reached a cumulative incidence rate of 5% for cardiovascular diseases about 7 years before women, at an average age of 50.5 years versus 57.5 years for women.
Additionally, men reached a cumulative incidence rate of 2% for coronary artery disease more than ten years earlier than women. In contrast, no statistically significant differences were recorded between the genders in the age associated with a 2% incidence of stroke or a 1% incidence of heart failure.
An Early Start to the Gap
The researchers pointed out that the differences between men and women in heart disease begin to clearly appear during the fourth decade of life and continue even after taking into account differences in traditional cardiac health indicators.
The lead author of the study, Alexa Friedman, a researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, stated that the differences in the risk of heart disease become clear by the age of 35 years.
She emphasized the importance of early initiation in assessing risk factors and establishing preventive strategies during early adulthood, as this plays a role in improving long-term heart health for both genders.
Multiple Explanations for the Differences
The exact cause of these differences is not known, as researchers believe they result from a combination of biological, hormonal, and behavioral factors, alongside differences in exposure to risk factors from an early age, within a lengthy accumulative path that begins in youth.
Biologically, the hormone estrogen in women, especially before menopause, plays a relatively protective role for blood vessels, by improving arterial elasticity, regulating lipid levels, and reducing inflammation.
Conversely, men lack this protective effect, making them more susceptible to arteriosclerosis at an earlier age, before the gap begins to decline as estrogen levels in women decrease after menopause.
Studies also indicate differences in fat distribution and metabolic functions between genders, with men tending to accumulate visceral fat associated with higher blood pressure, insulin resistance, and cholesterol disorders, compared to the more common subcutaneous fat in women of childbearing age.
Behavioral Factors and Psychological Stress
Behavioral and lifestyle factors contribute to deepening these differences, where men record higher rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, and engagement in high-risk behaviors, alongside poor adherence to regular medical check-ups and delayed seeking of healthcare.
The psychological and social role is also significant in this equation, as chronic stress and the nature of some hard or high-stress jobs are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, amid men's exposure to professional and economic pressures at an early age.
Recent research also points to genetic and regulatory differences in the body's response to cardiovascular risk factors between genders, including inflammation and endothelial function, enhancing the need for a comprehensive prevention approach that takes into account the biological, behavioral, and psychological differences between men and women.
