5 risks for cardiovascular disease unique to women

Oral contraceptive use, especially among smokers, and hormone replacement have also been linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. 2. PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS Health

problems that arise during pregnancy — including high blood pressure, which affects 1 in every 12 to 17 pregnancies, and gestational diabetes, which happens in about 6 to 9 percent of

pregnancies — can increase a woman’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even if these conditions subside after pregnancy, “the risk remains,” Wenger says. “And that is really

important. She’s at greater risk of having subsequent hypertension, subsequent diabetes, subsequent heart attack and stroke.” In fact, a new federally funded study published in the _Journal

of the American College of Cardiology_ found that women who experienced complications related to high blood pressure during pregnancy had a 63 percent increased risk for developing

cardiovascular disease later in life. Delivering a preterm baby is another risk for heart and vascular issues in a woman’s lifetime; the same goes for delivering a baby that is considered to

have a low or high birthweight, the latest report from the AHA details.  3. INFLAMMATORY AND AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS Inflammatory and autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis 

are associated with an increased risk of heart inflammation, heart and valve disease, and heart attack. And while these disorders occur in both women and men, women bear the overwhelming

burden. In fact, research suggests that only 1 in 10 people with lupus and 1 in 3 people with rheumatoid arthritis are male. This is really important, Wenger notes, because while women may

be seeking care for their arthritis, “they don’t think about their heart risks with that,” she says. 4. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY Depression and anxiety are two other disorders that carry

cardiovascular disease risks, and similar to autoimmune disorders, they disproportionately affect women, especially younger women, Wenger notes. The connection has to do with certain

physiologic effects on the body. Over a period of time, depression, anxiety and stress can increase heart rate and blood pressure, reduce blood flow to the heart, and cause a surge in the

levels of cortisol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These effects can eventually result in calcium buildup in the arteries, metabolic disease and heart

disease, the CDC notes.