Heart disease or often called cardiovascular disease is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. The disease that occurred due to the blockage in the blood vessel may cause heart attack and stroke. Smoking, hypertension, amount of fat in the body, cholesterol and sugar in the blood and blood vessel inflammation are some of the factors that may cause heart disease.

Most people believe that heart attack is more common in adult male compared to female. However, the fact is heart attack may occur to anyone, regardless of their gender. In recent research conducted by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, it was found that the risk of heart attack on young women keeps rising sharply every year.

The researcher analysed the medical record of 29.000 people (aged 35-74 years old) which had to be treated in hospital due to heart disease (Acute Myocardial Infarction/AMI). From the analysis, it was found that the risk of heart disease on young women was rising from 27% from 1995-1999 to 32% from 2010-2014. Also, the researchers found that the risk of heart attack was higher in young women. At the beginning of the research, the percentage of young women from all heart disease patients was 21%. At the end of the research, the number increased to 31%.

In general, the risk of heart disease is higher in men aged 40 years old or more. According to a cardiologist, Dr Johan Winata, Sp. Jp (K) FIHA, women in the productive age has several hormones that may help maintain their health. However, there is no harm for us to be more careful and pay more attention to our heart health by maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Getty Image

Source(s):

• Arora, S., Stouffer, G. A., Caughey, M. C. (2018). Twenty Year Trends and Sex Differences in Young Adults Hospitalized with Acute Myocardial Infarction: The ARIC Community Surveillance Study. Circulation, DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037137.
• Heart attacks increasingly common in young women (2018). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323669.php, 14 November 2018.