Gender and socioeconomic factors play a major role in US statistics and frequency rates for heart disease. “Women from low socioeconomic backgrounds are 25 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack than disadvantaged men, a major new study has found.
Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health examined data from 22 million people from North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia.
In a review of 116 studies they demonstrated a lower socioeconomic status, compared to a higher, is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease for both sexes, but women from more disadvantaged backgrounds were relatively more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than similarly affected men. There was no difference found for stroke however.
The effects of levels of education, income, job type and postcode on the risk of cardiovascular disease were assessed in the study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Comparisons between men and women were made.
Dr Sanne Peters, Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, UK, said: “It’s widely known that people from disadvantaged backgrounds are at greater risk of heart attack and stroke than people with more affluent backgrounds. However, our study has shown there is a significant difference between the sexes. More disadvantaged women are suffering from heart disease than their male counterparts, which is concerning.”
“Men and women have a similar lifetime risk of heart disease. However, women, on average, develop heart disease 5-10 years later in life than men. This advantage is smaller among women with a lower socioeconomic status.”
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