In decades past older men were at greater risk for heart disease, but now women in their later years appear to be worse off, according to researchers.
A study by researchers at the University of Southern California and the UCLA found that women in their 60s have as many risk factors for heart disease as men, and by age 70 have more.
High-risk blood pressure increased in women participants in the study but decreased in men. Also, more women than men studied had high C-Reactive Protein (in elevated levels the protein has been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease). This risk factor appears to be associated with increased use of hormone-replacement therapy among women, said Eileen Crimmins, the study’s author and professor in USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.
The study report is published in the current issue of the Journal of Women’s Health.
