The Hindu Business Line : A woman's heart is `different'

DOCTORS at a city hospital here have found that a woman's heart is completely different from that of a man's. "There is new evidence to substantiate this," a study by doctors at Care Hospital claimed.

The study found that hearts of men and women do not respond to drugs alike. "Earlier, cardiologists just assumed that women would respond the same way as men do for treatment. But, now, we came to know that a woman's heart is different," it said.

The study was done for a period of three years over 3,000 patients, suffering from different cardiac problems. About 30 per cent of the patients were women.

Women who develop a heart attack have a higher chance of complications than men. They have a higher chance of developing irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmias), faster heart rates and develop heart failure more often.

"Women have more of coronary spasm as a cause of chest pain. Also there is more incidence of mitral valve prolapse (a condition in which the heart valve tissue is weaker and the valve tends to leak, causing chest pain and palpitation)," Dr Sunil Kapoor, Chief of Cardiology Division at the hospital, said. Dr Kapoor led the team of doctors who conducted the study.

"Women, who have diabetes, thyroid disorder, obesity and those taking tobacco, have a tendency for severe blockages. They tend to develop diffuse narrowing with less chances of being treated with angioplasty than with surgery," he said.

Dr Kapoor said that the study would be sent to medical journals.

"A similar study was conducted in the US. We wanted to know whether these findings differ for India. But both the studies have shown similar results," he said.

In some instances, women have certain advantages too.

For one, men and women patients responded differently on administration of a common drug like beta-blocker after a heart attack. Women had benefited more after taking this drug.

Luckily for women, drug-eluting stents at angioplasty tend to be equally effectiveas in men.

The doctors, however, have yet to know the cause as to why the pattern and behaviour of heart diseases is different in women.

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