Among young and middle-aged adults (ages 18 to 55), women experience greater psychological stress than men after having a heart attack, impeding their recovery, according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
Researchers examined differences between more than 3,500 heart attack patients — both men and women — in stress and contributing factors.
They found using the Perceived Stress Scale that the stress baseline was higher for women (score: 27) than men (score: 23.4) post-heart attack. Additionally, the stress women felt was largely due to their different roles in family life and work as well as comorbidities, physical and mental health status, intra-family conflict, care-giving demand and financial hardship.
The researchers also found recovery at one month post-heart attack was worse for woman than men. For both men and women, a higher baseline stress level was associated with significantly worse recovery, quality of life and mental health status.
Despite the enlightening findings, the study authors recognize the need for more research on the connection between sex, stress and post-heart attack recovery.
"Continued effort is needed to...identify additional risk factors that may account for the excess adverse outcomes in women and determine reasons for their disproportionate burden of mental stress," wrote study authors.
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