Heart Attack Risk In Young Women Has Significantly Increased, According To Study

People generally associate heart attack with older people. However, a new study finds that the heart attack risk in men has been reduced in recent years while the fatal heart attack risk in younger women has increased.

Economic Times reports that the reason for the significant increase of heart attack risk in younger women is due to added daily stress. The stress which increases heart attack risk usually comes from going to work, doing household chores and taking care of family members or relatives. "In case of cardiovascular disorders, women have a different age distribution, other clusters of risk factors and the vascular changes in the heart also differ morphologically," Medical University of Vienna professor Alexandra Kautzky-Willer told The Economic Times.

Work, household chores and taking care of family and relatives are not the only reasons for the increase of heart attack risk in women. Smoking; eating fatty and oily food; having hypertension and diabetes; being overweight or obese; and lack of physical activity are some of the most common causes of heart attack in younger women.

"In addition, gender-specific risks such as irregular menstrual cycles, early menopause, and pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia and the pill or hormone replacement therapies also worsen the heart condition in women," The Economic Times added. Menopause usually increases a woman's blood pressure and adversely changes the distribution of fats in the blood and the entire body which can lead to higher heart attack risk.

Fortunately, there are several ways for young women to reduce their heart attack risk. Avoiding smoking, fatty food, oily food and salty food can significantly reduce heart attack risk. Women should also maintain normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels as well as exercise regularly in order to decrease heart attack risk, according to Healthy Way.