It's that time ... for heart attacks?A small but provocative study suggests that a woman is more vulnerable to heart attacks during the time in her menstrual cycle menstrual cycle n. The recurring cycle of physiological changes in the uterus, ovaries, and other sexual structures that occur from the beginning of one menstrual period through the beginning of the next. when estrogen concentrations are lowest. Among 28 women who had a heart attack at an unusually young age--from 35 to 47 years--20 suffered the attack within 5 days after the beginning of their periods, reports Bettina Hamelin of Laval University Laval University, at Quebec, Que., Canada; Roman Catholic, coeducational, French language; chartered 1852, an outgrowth of a seminary established 1663 by Bishop Laval. In 1876 a branch was established in Montreal, which in 1919 became independent as the Univ. in Quebec. All 28 women had other risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. "Everything fits together" to suggest that the menstrual cycle helps trigger heart attacks among women with other risk factors, says Norman Chan of University College London “UCL” redirects here. For other uses, see UCL (disambiguation). University College London, commonly known as UCL, is the oldest multi-faculty constituent college of the University of London, one of the two original founding colleges, and the first British . Chan says he has unpublished data suggesting that a woman's blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. are stiffest when estrogen concentrations are low. "You can't do much about your menstrual cycle, but you can change your risk factors," Hamelin says. "The message, if you are a menstruating men·stru·ate intr.v. men·stru·at·ed, men·stru·at·ing, men·stru·ates To undergo menstruation. [Late Latin m female and have risk factors for heart disease, is one of awareness." She points out that women suffering heart attacks have symptoms, such as back pain, that can be mistaken for menstruation-related discomfort. |
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