Khaberni - Long-term medical research has revealed that the risk of cardiovascular diseases in men begins to increase faster from about age 35, years before the age at which doctors usually start preventative checks.
When do the differences between men and women begin?
The study, which monitored the health of more than 5,100 people for over 30 years from their twenties into their later years, found that the cardiac risk was similar between genders until their mid-thirties, after which men's risk began to rise more rapidly compared to women.
Main reason: Coronary artery disease
Most differences in health risks between men and women were due to coronary artery disease, which leads to the accumulation of fats inside the arteries and is the most common cause of heart attacks.
The findings mentioned that men reached a 5% risk level of developing heart diseases about seven years earlier than women (around 50.5 years compared to 57.5 years for women).
Do traditional risk factors explain the difference?
Even after taking into account well-known factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, smoking, physical activity, and weight, the difference between men and women remained, suggesting that there are still poorly understood biological or social factors at play.
What does this mean for prevention?
Until now, many heart screening programs have focused on older adults (age 40 and above). However, the study suggests that men need earlier screening before their mid-forties to detect early signs and decrease future risks.
Researchers also indicate that women visit doctors at a higher rate in the early years of life, which might contribute to earlier detection of health issues than in men.
Conclusion
The crucial age is around 35 years for the development of heart risks in men.
Men reach an early risk more than 7 years ahead of women concerning heart diseases.
Early health screening can make a significant difference in prevention and reducing the risks of future heart attacks.
