A new investigation has revealed that the causes of heart attacks differ significantly between men and women under 65.
When it comes to heart attacks, medically known as myocardial strokes, the general presupposition is that they are caused by an artery blocked by the accumulation of cholesterol and the formation of clots. However, when it comes to heart attacks in young adults, there are other less common causes.
A study this Monday in Journal of the American College of Cardiology analyzed all People under 65 years In Minnesota that showed evidence of cardiac muscle damage between 2003 and 2018 and classified them into six categories of causes of heart attacks. It also analyzed whether the causes differ in younger men and women.
As detailed to, from almost 3000 patients, 68% of heart attacks were caused by classic artery blockade and coagulation – aterotromose. Os men were much more likely than women to have this kind of attack.
Already the Women were more likely to have other causes of heart attack.
In addition to atherotrombosis, the other causes of infarction examined were:
- SCAD (spontaneous dissection of the coronary artery): a tear on the artery wall;
- Embolism: a clot traveling from another place to the heart;
- Vasoespasmo: temporary narrowing of the artery;
- Minoca (myocardial infarction with unobstructed coronary arteries that does not fit in another category): heart attack without a blocked artery, without a clear cause;
- Offer-demand mismatch (SSDM): The heart muscle needs more oxygen than it receives, even without a blocked artery (for example, during a severe disease or stress).
A Scad was much more common in womenin which only about half of the heart attacks were caused by blocked arteries (47%), compared to 75% in men.
Among the heart attacks in women, the causes were SSDM (34%)DAC (11%), embolism (2%), vasospasm (3%) or Minoca-U (3%).
Long -term survival was worse in people (both sexes) with myocardial infarction caused by SSDM: about one in three (33%) died within five years.
On the other hand, In the strokes caused by Scad, cardiovascular deaths were not reported in five years.
Classic heart attacks with blocked arteries (atterotrombosis) recorded a mortality rate of about 8% in five years.
“Our research highlights the need to rethink the way we approach heart attacks in this patient population and, in particular, in younger adult women,” said Rajiv Gulati, who was part of the study, quoted by New Atlas.
