Heart Attacks In Women Under Age 65 Are Caused By Factors Other Than Clogged Arteries

A caller Mayo Clinic study finds that galore bosom attacks successful group nether 65 - particularly women - are caused by factors different than clogged arteries, challenging long-standing assumptions astir really bosom attacks hap successful younger populations.

Study findings published successful the Journal of nan American College of Cardiology examined complete 15 years of information from nan Rochester Epidemiology Project, providing nan astir broad organization information of bosom onslaught causes successful group aged 65 and younger.

More than half of bosom attacks successful women nether property 65 were caused by nontraditional factors, specified arsenic spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), embolism and different conditions unrelated to artery-clogging plaque. Heart onslaught incidence was importantly little successful women than successful men - but erstwhile women did person bosom attacks, nan underlying causes were often misdiagnosed.

SCAD, which typically affects younger, different patient women, was often missed and misclassified arsenic a emblematic bosom onslaught owed to plaque buildup. The astir communal origin of bosom onslaught successful some sexes was atherosclerosis, aliases artery-clogging plaque, but this accounted for only 47% of bosom attacks successful women, compared to 75% successful men. Five-year mortality rates were highest successful group who had bosom attacks triggered by stressors specified arsenic anemia aliases infection, moreover though these patients had little bosom wounded levels.

This investigation shines a spotlight connected bosom onslaught causes that person historically been under-recognized, peculiarly successful women. When nan guidelines origin of a bosom onslaught is misunderstood, it tin lead to treatments that are little effective - aliases moreover harmful."

Claire Raphael, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., interventional cardiologist astatine Mayo Clinic and first writer of nan study

This caller knowing could prevention lives. A misdiagnosed SCAD, for example, whitethorn beryllium treated pinch a stent unnecessarily, expanding nan consequence of complications. Recognizing and correctly diagnosing these nontraditional bosom attacks allows for much due attraction and amended semipermanent outcomes.

Key findings from nan study:

• Out of 1,474 bosom attacks, 68% were from emblematic plaque buildup (traditional bosom disease), but nontraditional causes made up a mostly of bosom attacks successful women.
• SCAD was astir 6 times much communal successful women than men.
• Heart attacks caused by stressors specified arsenic anemia aliases an infection were nan second-most communal origin overall, and nan deadliest, pinch a five-year mortality complaint of 33%.
• Truly unexplained bosom attacks were rare, making up little than 3% of cases aft master review.

Overall, nan study provides insights that could reshape really bosom attacks are diagnosed and managed successful younger adults.

"Our investigation highlights nan larger request to rethink really we attack bosom attacks successful this diligent population, and for younger big women, successful particular. Clinicians must sharpen their consciousness of conditions for illustration SCAD, embolism and stress-related triggers, and patients should advocator for answers erstwhile thing doesn't consciousness right," says Rajiv Gulati, M.D., Ph.D., chair of nan Division of Interventional Cardiology and Ischemic Heart Disease astatine Mayo Clinic. Dr. Gulati is elder writer of nan study.

"Understanding why a bosom onslaught happened is conscionable arsenic important arsenic treating it," says Dr. Raphael. "It tin mean nan quality betwixt betterment and recurrence."