Stress hits women harder than men

They face greater risk to heart as mental pressure constricts blood supply

STRESS is more damaging to women’s hearts than it is to men’s, say doctors.

They warn that women with heart disease should try to protect themselves from becoming tense and anxious because they put themselves more at risk of problems such as a heart attacks.

In women, mental stress constricts small blood vessels supplying blood to the heart – starving it of oxygen.

But in men, mental stress was not found to restrict the blood supply in the same way.

Instead, it was found to increase blood pressure and heart rate – making the heart work harder. It is not clear why the difference between the sexes exists.

Dr Viola Vaccarino of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, said: ‘This research is important because previous studies have shown that a reduction in blood supply to the heart (ischemia) during mental stress doubles the risk of heart attack or death from heart disease.

‘This increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events is about the same level as that seen in people who develop reduced blood flow in the heart muscle during a conventional test, such as a treadmill stress test.’

The US findings were based on testing 678 adult men and women, all of whom were over 63 and suffering from heart disease, who had to deliver a speech while researchers measured their blood pressure and heart rate.

The scientists also took scans of their hearts, and measured how much blood vessels in their fingers contracted.

The researchers found marked differences in how stress affected men and women.

In females, constriction of tiny peripheral blood vessels in reaction to mental stress was linked to the reduced blood supply.

This caused an increase in ‘afterload’ – the force the heart must use to pump blood so it is pushed into the constricted blood vessels – which is linked to heart damage.

But in men, there was a rise in blood pressure and heart rate, which had a different effect – making the heart work harder.

Dr Vaccarino said: ‘Our findings in the peripheral circulation also could reflect what occurs in the arteries in the heart.

‘Instead of dilating and increasing blood flow to the heart during stress, in women the tiny blood vessels are constricted, leading to areas of reduced blood flow.’

She added: ‘Constriction of peripheral vessels can also induce ischemia in the heart indirectly, because the heart has to pump against increased resistance.’

For those with heart disease, these results emphasise the importance of finding ways to reduce psychological stress and its potential impact on the body, researchers said.

She continued: ‘Women with heart disease need to know that they may be vulnerable to the effects of mental stress and think about ways to protect their hearts, such as relaxation techniques and physical exercise.’

The authors said the findings added to understanding of mental stress related heart damage because previous studies had previously mainly focused on men. They also said the they hoped the findings will identify methods to treat stress-related heart disease.

The research was published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, an American Heart Association journal.

Earlier research has found mental stress heart damage can lead to a doubling of the chance of heart attacks and death.

Previous studies have also shown that mental stress has been found to be a separate risk factor for heart damage to that caused by physical stresses.

‘They may be vulnerable’