Angina more common in women

A new analysis shows that women are 20 percent more likely to suffer from angina than men. Angina (also called angina pectoris) is chest discomfort, caused by reduced oxygen supply to the heart muscle, in relation to its needs. Angina can occur in men and women of any age but it is more common among the middle-aged and elderly. Although men have higher rates of fatal heart attacks than women, women are believed to be more prone to angina, as compared to men. To assess the occurrence of angina in men and women, researchers at University College London Medical School conducted a systematic review of population studies that reported the prevalence of angina diagnosed using a standardised questionnaire. This analysis was based upon 74 reports from 31 countries involving more than 400,000 subjects. The results showed that women are more likely to suffer from angina than their male counterparts. Altogether, there were 13,331 angina cases in women and 11,511 cases in men. Overall, the proportion of people with angina was 20 percent higher in women than men, and this was consistent in all the studies examined. This finding implies an inherent biological basis rather than artifactual explanations.