Scientists from the University of New South Wales found that smoking, hypertension, excess weight and other risk factors for atherosclerosis of leg arteries are more dangerous for women. The research was published in the journal PLOS One.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects more than 235 million people worldwide. It is accompanied by the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries of the extremities (usually in the legs) and impaired blood flow. Women generally experience more severe disease than men, and PAH surgery in women is often associated with a higher risk of death.
The study used data from more than 500,000 patients with an average age of 57 from the UK Biobank. The average follow-up period was approximately 13 years. During this time, more than 2.5 thousand women and five thousand men developed severe PAH, resulting in hospitalization or death.
Scientists have identified risk factors for PAD: smoking, being overweight, hypertension, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and a history of stroke or heart attack. The same risk factor tended to be more dangerous for women.
A protective factor was also found: high levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL). For each mmol/L increase in this indicator, the risk of PAH decreased by 44% and 20% in women and men, respectively.
The results suggest that women are more vulnerable to PAH risk factors and should be encouraged to take more preventive measures. Scientists also suggest that the more severe course of PAH may be due to the fact that the disease manifests differently in men and women. In men, PAD is usually diagnosed after the onset of intermittent claudication, but in women, leg symptoms are atypical or absent, resulting in a delay in diagnosis. Previous studies have found gender differences in the risk of stroke, heart attack, and dementia for the same risk factors.
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