Men With Chest Pain Face Greater Heart Risks
Posted on: Friday, 7 August 2009, 15:25 CDT
A new study finds that men who experience chest pain are much more likely than women to develop serious heart problems.The study, led by the National University of Ireland, showed that male patients with chest pain were twice as likely than female patients to have a heart attack, and nearly three times as likely to suffer a heart disease-related death.
Chest pain, known as angina, is caused by an insufficient supply of blood to the heart muscle. Although it can sometimes be the first indication of heart disease, the risks are unclear.
Recent figures suggest that 4.8% of men and 3.4% of women aged 16 and older in Britain suffer from angina. The figures are higher in Scotland, where 6.6% of men and 5.6% of women are estimated to have chest pain.
The Irish researchers identified 1,785 patients in Scotland who were diagnosed with angina between January 1998 and December 2001, and then monitored their progress for five years.
They found that being older, male and a smoker was associated with an increased risk of suffering a heart attack. The same risk factors, along with obesity, were also associated with an increased risk of dying from heart disease.
Men were also more likely than women to undergo coronary artery bypass surgery or to have an angioplasty to open up blocked arteries, the study showed.
Dr . Brian Buckley, the study’s lead researcher, said the underlying reasons for the apparent increased risk in men was not clear. Some have speculated the discrepancy could be a result of men being less likely to follow medical advice following diagnosis, while others believe that men do not seek medical attention until their condition is more advanced.
It is also believed that women receive some protection from the hormone estrogen.
"We need to look at what the hell is happening here rather more closely than we have in the past,” Dr. Buckley told BBC News.
"Hopefully, our study has demonstrated that men are at more risk -so indisputably, that more research will take place looking at why."
The primary lesson from the study is that those with angina should improve their lifestyle to minimize risk of more serious heart disease, Dr. Buckley added.
"If you are diagnosed with angina, you should not panic - it won't necessarily end up in a heart attack - but you ought to take what the doctor says to you seriously, both in terms of taking medication and adopting a healthier lifestyle."
Dr. Mike Knapton, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said the research was significant because it was conducted with large numbers of people living within the community, rather than in a hospital setting.
"It confirms that smoking and being obese greatly up your risk of dying from heart disease,” he told BBC News.
"This is good news for people living with angina, as it shows that it's never too late for them to change their lifestyles, or to stop smoking."
The research, which was conducted in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen, appears in the British Medical Journal. The report can be viewed at http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/339/aug06_2/b3058.
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On The Net:
British Medical Journal
British Heart Foundation
Source: redOrbit staff
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