EN 
ES Dra. Pura Henríquez, intensivist cardiologist - transplantologist Coordinator of the Cardiovascular Unit of the General Hospital of the Plaza de la Salud.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. More than 17 million people die every year for this reason.
Myocardial infarction (heart attack) is the death (necrosis) of the secondary heart muscle due to lack of prolonged oxygen (ischemia).
It usually results from an imbalance between the supply and the oxygen demand, which is more frequently caused by rupture of the plaque with formation of thrombus in a coronary artery, resulting in reduction of the blood supply to the myocardium.
Clinically, it is a syndrome that can be recognized by a series of symptoms, with chest pain being the most frequent symptom associated with changes in the electrocardiogram, changes in the laboratory or modifications in the images capable of detecting myocardial injury and necrosis.
First cause of mortality in women. Since 1984, cardiovascular mortality is higher in women than in men, and 12 months after the infarction, women are more likely to die than men.
The frequency of heart failure and stroke is much higher related to an increase in risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, depression and renal failure, and there is an increase in coronary heart disease among women aged 45 to 65 years.
Black women have a higher prevalence of heart attacks than other women, including a higher frequency of sudden death.
The pathophysiology of the infarction is different between women and men. In men, plaque rupture is more frequent, while in women it only occurs in 55%.
Plaque erosion and spontaneous coronary dissection is more common in women than in men, particularly in younger women.
Etiology. Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of most heart attacks.
Approximately 90% of myocardial infarctions result from an acute thrombus that occludes an atherosclerotic coronary artery. The rupture and erosion of the plaque are considered as the greatest stimulus for coronary thrombosis.
Risk factor's. Cardiovascular risk factors are similar for men and women, although the potency of cardiovascular risk factors may differ.
The study "Interheart" showed that 96% of risk factors in women are related to alcohol and cigarette consumption, hypertension, diabetes, central obesity, diet, sedentary lifestyle, lipids and psychosocial factors, many of which are modifiable.
Smoking can be a stronger risk of heart attack for women than for men and hypertension is also a major risk factor for women.
Abdominal obesity is a risk factor greater than the body mass index.
HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, obesity and diabetes, all frequently occurring together, increase the likelihood of women having a heart attack.
Non-modifiable risk factors include age, sex, family history of coronary disease and male pattern baldness.
Modifiable risk factors:
- Smoking or use of another tobacco,
- Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia,
- Mellitus diabetes,
- Hypertension,
- Obesity (abdominal obesity),
- Psychosocial stress,
- Sedentary life I lack of exercises,
- Reduction of fruit and vegetable consumption,
- Poor oral hygiene
- Personality type A,
- Elevated homocysteine levels and
- Presence of peripheral vascular disease.
‘]
Dra. Pura Henríquez, intensivist cardiologist - transplantologist Coordinator of the Cardiovascular Unit of the General Hospital of the Plaza de la Salud.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. More than 17 million people die every year for this reason.
Myocardial infarction (heart attack) is the death (necrosis) of the secondary heart muscle due to lack of prolonged oxygen (ischemia).
It usually results from an imbalance between the supply and the oxygen demand, which is more frequently caused by rupture of the plaque with formation of thrombus in a coronary artery, resulting in reduction of the blood supply to the myocardium.
Clinically, it is a syndrome that can be recognized by a series of symptoms, with chest pain being the most frequent symptom associated with changes in the electrocardiogram, changes in the laboratory or modifications in the images capable of detecting myocardial injury and necrosis.
First cause of mortality in women. Since 1984, cardiovascular mortality is higher in women than in men, and 12 months after the infarction, women are more likely to die than men.
The frequency of heart failure and stroke is much higher related to an increase in risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, depression and renal failure, and there is an increase in coronary heart disease among women aged 45 to 65 years.
Black women have a higher prevalence of heart attacks than other women, including a higher frequency of sudden death.
The pathophysiology of the infarction is different between women and men. In men, plaque rupture is more frequent, while in women it only occurs in 55%.
Plaque erosion and spontaneous coronary dissection is more common in women than in men, particularly in younger women.
Etiology. Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of most heart attacks.
Approximately 90% of myocardial infarctions result from an acute thrombus that occludes an atherosclerotic coronary artery. The rupture and erosion of the plaque are considered as the greatest stimulus for coronary thrombosis.
Risk factor's. Cardiovascular risk factors are similar for men and women, although the potency of cardiovascular risk factors may differ.
The study "Interheart" showed that 96% of risk factors in women are related to alcohol and cigarette consumption, hypertension, diabetes, central obesity, diet, sedentary lifestyle, lipids and psychosocial factors, many of which are modifiable.
Smoking can be a stronger risk of heart attack for women than for men and hypertension is also a major risk factor for women.
Abdominal obesity is a risk factor greater than the body mass index.
HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, obesity and diabetes, all frequently occurring together, increase the likelihood of women having a heart attack.
Non-modifiable risk factors include age, sex, family history of coronary disease and male pattern baldness.
Modifiable risk factors:
- Smoking or use of another tobacco,
- Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia,
- Mellitus diabetes,
- Hypertension,
- Obesity (abdominal obesity),
- Psychosocial stress,
- Sedentary life I lack of exercises,
- Reduction of fruit and vegetable consumption,
- Poor oral hygiene
- Personality type A,
- Elevated homocysteine levels and
- Presence of peripheral vascular disease.
Published in: Hoy Digital newspaper.
