Heart disease: what are the differences between men and women?

Past week there was attention for new documentary called "De slag om het vrouwenhart", made by Hella de Jong, in which she relates about her quest for heart health. She suspected health problems, but wasn't sure why. After having been told her problems were psychosomatic, caused by her parents' traumatic WWII experiences, she wasn't satisfied and kept pushing for more research. Finally she got a massive heart attack while perfoming a stress test in the hospital.

This interview sent me on an immediate flashback to 1985, when my mom felt ill enough to visit the hopital after what was probably a minor heart attack. Her complaints weren't taken very seriously, yet they admitted her to hospital, though without being tied to a heart monitor. It was here she died that same day in the presence of my brother. When listening to Hella's story it seems there hasn't changed much in 35 years.

For a very long time, women were not taken into consideration when research was conducted on heart diseasae. Nor were they taken seriously when they went to their doctors with health complaints. Yet, among women, heart disease has also become the leading cause of death.

Determining heart disease risk in women

Women and men share many heart disease risk factors, but recent studies are showing what previous male-focused studies have not shown: Women also have their own unique heart disease risk factors.

Traditional risk factors common to both women and men:

• obesity
• smoking
• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• family history
• metabolic syndrome – the co-existence of high blood pressure, obesity, and high glucose and triglyceride levels
• high levels of C-reactive protein – a sign of inflammatory disease that can occur along with other cardiovascular risk factors

Some risk factors that relate specifically to women or that can affect women disproportionately include:

• relatively high testosterone levels prior to menopause
• increasing hypertension during menopause
• autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis – more common in women than in men
• stress and depression are more common among women
• low risk factor awareness: lack of recognition of many of the above conditions as risk factors for heart disease is a risk factor in itself

What is co-enzyme Q10 and why is it important for our health?

Co-enzyme Q10, mostly shortened to Q10 is present in almost every single cell of our body. The other name for Q10 is ubiquinone, which is derived from the Latin word ubiquitous ('everywhere').

Co-enzyme Q10 is important for cellular processes in which it helps to produce energy for growth and maintenance. Co-Q10 also works as an antioxidant that protects you from the same energy-making process it’s also involved in.

While your body is capable of producting co-enzyme Q10 from food, the ability to do so, declines with age. This is why Q10 is called a conditionally essential nutrient, meaning it is required to be supplemented as we grow old.