LONDON: Women smokers, especially those aged under 50, are at a significantly higher risk of a major heart attack than their male counterparts, according to a research.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women and men worldwide, and acute ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) is among the most life-threatening forms of heart disease.
STEMI is sometimes called a major heart attack and is caused by a complete blockage of one of the main coronary arteries.
The reseach, led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Sheffield, was conducted to assess smoking as an independent risk factor for STEMI and determine the differences in risk between age groups and genders.
The researchers found that smoking increases STEMI risk in all patients, regardless of age or gender, but the risk is higher in females compared to males at all ages.
The largest relative risk difference between men and women smokers was in the 50-64 years old group, but the highest risk increase in both genders was in the 18-49 years group- the youngest group, the research found.
Female smokers in this age group had a greater than 13 times higher risk of STEMI compared to their non-smoking female contemporaries. Young male smokers had an 8.6 times increased risk. (AGENCIES)
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