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Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Heart disease risk higher for women who have these unhealthy lifestyle habits
It's long been known that certain lifestyle and health factors increase the risk of heart disease — but a new study highlights that they could affect women more than men. Eight specific habits — diet, sleep, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure — appear to have twice the impact on heart health risk for women compared to men, found researchers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. The findings will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in Chicago on March 29-31, 2025. Cannabis Use Endangers Heart Health For Certain Group The study included data from over 175,000 Canadian adults without existing heart conditions who enrolled in the Ontario Health Study between 2009 and 2017, according to a press release. The researchers analyzed the participants' scores for the eight risk factors and then tracked the incidence of seven heart disease outcomes over an 11-year period. Read On The Fox News App Those outcomes included heart attack, stroke, unstable angina (chest pain that results from restricted blood flow to the heart), peripheral arterial disease (narrowed blood vessels in the arms or legs), heart failure and coronary revascularization (procedures to open blocked arteries) and cardiovascular death, the release stated. Heart Disease Could Be Prevented With This One Simple Test Overall, more women were found to have ideal health (9.1% compared to 4.8% of men). They were also less likely to have poor health (21.9% compared to 30.5% of men). Women who had poor health, however, were shown to have nearly five times the risk of heart disease than women with ideal health, the study found. In comparison, men with poor health had 2.5 times the risk of heart disease compared to men with ideal health. Among women with intermediate health, there was a 2.3 times higher risk than for those with ideal health, compared to 1.6 times the risk for men with intermediate health. "For the same level of health, our study shows that the increase in risk [related to each factor] is higher in women than in men — it's not one-size-fits-all," said lead author Maneesh Sud, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of medicine, interventional cardiologist and clinician scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, in the release. "We found that women tend to have better health than men, but the impact on outcomes is different. The combination of these factors has a bigger impact in women than it does in men." This Disease Kills More People Than All Cancers And Accidents Combined This is a new finding that hasn't been seen in other studies, the researcher added. Based on the study findings, the researchers concluded that "sex-specific screening or risk assessment approaches" could more accurately predict people's heart disease risk. Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News' senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study, but shared his insights on the possible reasons for the findings. "I think the reason women are being found to be more susceptible to heart disease is because of particular milestone stresses in their lives that men don't share, which include dramatic hormonal shifts that can bear directly on cardiac function," he told Fox News Digital. Those milestones may include pregnancy, childbirth and menopause, the doctor noted. "Keep in mind that estrogen is in some respects cardio-protective, and it drops dramatically with menopause," Siegel said. "And at the same time, cholesterol (a cardiac risk factor) increases, as may weight." "Overall, women tended to have better health than men, with better diets, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure, but those in intermediate health had a higher risk of heart problems," he went on. Due to the study's limited population, "only certain conclusions can be drawn," Siegel added. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Dr. Bradley Serwer, a Maryland-based cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, said there has been a need for studies specifically designed to focus on women's cardiovascular risk. "For many years, we have falsely assumed that traditional cardiovascular risk factors affected populations similarly," Serwer, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "We know that premenopausal women have a lower age-adjusted cardiovascular risk, but this catches up after menopause." For more Health articles, visit More research is needed to understand the underlying reasons for this phenomenon, the cardiologist noted. "Is it solely attributable to the protective effects of estrogen, or are there other unrecognized contributors? I commend the authors of this study for their contributions, as they further challenge our conventional approaches to primary prevention in women."Original article source: Heart disease risk higher for women who have these unhealthy lifestyle habits
Fox News
25-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Heart disease risk higher for women who have these unhealthy lifestyle habits
It's long been known that certain lifestyle and health factors increase the risk of heart disease — but a new study highlights that they could affect women more than men. Eight specific habits — diet, sleep, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure — appear to have twice the impact on heart health risk for women compared to men, found researchers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. The findings will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in Chicago on March 29-31, 2025. The study included data from more than 175,000 Canadian adults without existing heart conditions who enrolled in the Ontario Health Study between 2009 and 2017, according to a press release. The researchers analyzed the participants' scores for the eight risk factors and then tracked the incidence of seven heart disease outcomes over an 11-year period. Those outcomes included heart attack, stroke, unstable angina (chest pain that results from restricted blood flow to the heart), peripheral arterial disease (narrowed blood vessels in the arms or legs), heart failure and coronary revascularization (procedures to open blocked arteries) and cardiovascular death, the release stated. Overall, more women were found to have ideal health (9.1% compared to 4.8% of men). They were also less likely to have poor health (21.9% compared to 30.5% of men). Women who had poor health, however, were shown to have nearly five times the risk of heart disease than women with ideal health, the study found. "We found that women tend to have better health than men, but the impact on outcomes is different." In comparison, men with poor health had 2.5 times the risk of heart disease as men with ideal health. Among women with intermediate health, there was a 2.3 times higher risk than for those with ideal health, compared to 1.6 times the risk for men with intermediate health. "For the same level of health, our study shows that the increase in risk [related to each factor] is higher in women than in men — it's not one-size-fits-all," said lead author Maneesh Sud, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the department of medicine, interventional cardiologist and clinician scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, in the release. "We found that women tend to have better health than men, but the impact on outcomes is different. The combination of these factors has a bigger impact in women than it does in men." This is a new finding that hasn't been seen in other studies, the researcher added. Based on the study findings, the researchers concluded that "sex-specific screening or risk assessment approaches" could more accurately predict people's heart disease risk. Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study, but shared his comments on the possible reasons for the findings. "I think the reason women are being found to be more susceptible to heart disease is because of particular milestone stresses in their lives that men don't share, which include dramatic hormonal shifts that can bear directly on cardiac function," he shared with Fox News Digital. Those milestones may include pregnancy, childbirth and menopause, the doctor noted. "Keep in mind that estrogen is in some respects cardio-protective, and it drops dramatically with menopause," Siegel said. "And at the same time, cholesterol (a cardiac risk factor) increases, as may weight." "Overall, women tended to have better health than men, with better diets, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure, but those in intermediate health had a higher risk of heart problems," he went on. Due to the study's limited population, "only certain conclusions can be drawn," Siegel added. Dr. Bradley Serwer, a Maryland-based cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, said there has been a need for studies specifically designed to focus on women's cardiovascular risk. "We know that premenopausal women have a lower age-adjusted cardiovascular risk, but this catches up after menopause." "For many years, we have falsely assumed that traditional cardiovascular risk factors affected populations similarly," Serwer, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "We know that premenopausal women have a lower age-adjusted cardiovascular risk, but this catches up after menopause." For more Health articles, visit More research is needed to understand the underlying reasons for this phenomenon, the cardiologist noted. "Is it solely attributable to the protective effects of estrogen, or are there other unrecognized contributors? I commend the authors of this study for their contributions, as they further challenge our conventional approaches to primary prevention in women."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This gentle form of exercise reduces your risk of sleep apnea by 10%, study says
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Sleep apnea affects over 29 million Americans, with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep) being the most common form. A recent study suggests that taking a daily walk can reduce your risk of sleep apnea – and reduce the severity of your OSA overall if you have already been diagnosed. The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, utilized data from the Ontario Health Study to determine how physical activity could be used to manage symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The study involved a cohort of 155,448 adults aged 18 to 79 years, with researchers looking at the lifestyle, medical, socio-demographic and sleep patterns of each participant. Physical activity is a preventive measure for sleep apnea 20 minutes of walking per day can reduce symptoms 31% of participants with sleep apnea reported difficulty sleeping Nearly 7% of participants had already been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Those who were diagnosed were also more likely to lead sedentary lives compared to participants without OSA. Comparing the activity levels between the two groups, researchers determined that even just a 20-minute daily walk or an eight-minute burst of intense exercise lowered your risks of developing sleep apnea by 10%. However researchers also said that further specific tests are needed to investigate exactly how much exercise, and which types, are most effective when lowering OSA risk and symptom severity. Sleep apnea can affect anyone. However, there are certain lifestyle factors that elevate your risk of developing it. These include obesity, smoking, and drinking alcohol. Getting regular exercise and eating healthily are key to lowering your chances of developing sleep apnea. Daily exercise can also help you to manage your symptoms if you have already been diagnosed. Any physical activity helps to strengthen the muscles in your upper airway and improve your cardiovascular health, both of which help reduce sleep apnea risk. Plus, exercise reduces excess fat around the throat and potentially decreases fluid accumulation in the neck. Together, they contribute to better airway stability during sleep, thereby reducing the frequency and severity of sleep apnea episodes While you can't cure sleep apnea, doctors recommend several ways to manage symptoms to improve your sleep quality. These are the three most common ways: A sleep apnea mask is a device that fits over your nose and mouth and is attached via a hose to a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. The two work together to deliver constant and steady pressurized air to keep your airways open and unobstructed, to help you breathe while you sleep. Other expert-recommended products that alleviate sleep apnea include nasal strips or mouth guards. Alcohol can slow breathing and relax muscles in the airway, increasing the risk of blockages and sleep apnea episodes. Studies have repeatedly shown a correlation between sleep apnea and alcohol consumption. Some people who are not necessarily diagnosed with the condition can even experience sleep apnea episodes after a night of heavy drinking. You should consider limiting your alcohol intake if sleep apnea is seriously disrupting your sleep quality. Good sleep hygiene involves establishing a consistent routine where you go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, avoid screen time before bed, and practice a calming nighttime routine. All of these help regulate your circadian rhythm, promoting deeper more restful sleep. This can allow better airway management during sleep, reducing the frequency of sleep apnea episodes. In a more literal hygiene sense, maintaining a clean sleep environment, and ensuring your bedroom is free of dust mites and other allergens, will also promote healthy breathing through the night.
