What are common heart attack risk factors for women ?
Most of the heart attack risk factors are common to both sexes. Generally, though, men have a higher exposure rate to these factors. Cigarette smoking, dietary fiber lack, vitamin C deficiency, blood viscosity, uric acid levels, low HDL cholesterol and high cholesterol and triglycerides are all associated with high risk in both men and women. Perhaps the only factors that decrease the risk profile in men are exercise, alcohol consumption and lower serum fibrinogen levels. Then why is there a gender gap ? The clue may lie in three factors that have a greater effect – that is, they contribute more to coronary heart disease – in women than men. The short list of these factors is diabetes low HDL cholesterol high triglycerides These are a part of a metabolic syndrome that exists in association with insulin lack and lipid disorders (dyslipidemia). Diabetes The most striking risk factor in women is diabetes mellitus. Coronary heart disease risk in women diabetics is twice as high as diabetic
