Young Women with Heart Disease may Experience Decreased Blood Flow to Heart during Emotional Stress

A research by Emory University unveiled that in emotional stress, young women with heart disease have reduced blood flow to their heart.

In comparison to men, women have more chance to have reduced cardiac blood flow. Study author Viola Vaccarino from the Emory University in the US said that when young women develop heart disease, they can be counted under a special high risk group as they are vulnerable to emotional stress.

"Young and middle aged women may be more vulnerable to emotional stress because they face considerable burden of stressors in everyday life such as managing kids, marriage, jobs and caring for parents", affirmed Vaccarino.

Biology can be the other reason and during stress, one can face abnormal blood vessel. For the study, the researchers enrolled 534 patients having stable coronary heart disease. The researchers provided them mental stress test and a physical stress test.

In the mental stress test, patients were asked to think about a stressful life situation and on the basis of it they have to deliver a speech in front of small audience. Nuclear imaging was used by the researchers to take pictures of the heart when the participants underwent stress tests and also, when they were taking rest.

Heart rate and blood pressure were also checked during the tests. The study researchers have also assessed the differences in coronary blood flow depending upon gender and age. It was found that in comparison to men of the same age, women aged 55 and younger had three times greater reduction in blood flow to the heart.

In comparison to men, women develop heart disease later in life. The study researchers found that there was no difference in blood flow with physical stress between women and men. It was also found that younger women who face premature heart attacks are more likely to lose their lives in comparison to men of similar age.