The Hidden Heart Risk: Why Women May Need to Take Heart Health Even More Seriously
A key update from a recent study involving 175,000 participants in the Ontario Health Study (OHS) highlighted notable sex differences in cardiovascular risk. The study found that women may face a stronger impact from poor cardiovascular health compared to men, even though fewer women had poor cardiovascular health overall.
Women with poor cardiovascular health showed a fivefold higher rate of heart-related events compared to those with ideal health, whereas men had a 2.5 times higher rate under similar conditions. This underscores the importance of early lifestyle interventions—such as increased physical activity, healthier diets, quitting smoking, and better sleep—as potentially more beneficial for women than previously recognized.
What the Study Found
The study looked at data over 11 years from nearly 175,000 adults across Ontario, tracking key lifestyle behaviors and health factors that influence heart disease risk. These included diet, physical activity, smoking, sleep, obesity, blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
Women made up about 61% of participants and were found to generally have better cardiovascular health overall:
9.1% of women achieved "ideal" heart health compared to just 4.6% of men.
Fewer women (21.9%) had poor cardiovascular health compared to men (30.5%).
However, the heart health status had a stronger impact on women’s risk of future cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes. Women with poor cardiovascular health had a fivefold higher rate of heart-related events, compared to women with ideal health, while men had a comparatively 2.5 times higher risk in the same comparison.
Why It Matters
“This study was novel, in that we were one of the first groups in Canada to evaluate the impact of newer cardiovascular measures such as sleep, diet, and activities,” said Dr. Dennis Ko, Senior Scientist at Sunnybrook and the Primary Investigator for the OHS-powered research project.
This means women might be more vulnerable to the effects of declining heart health, even if they start out healthier than men. It also suggests that early lifestyle changes—like improving diet, being physically active, quitting smoking, and getting good sleep—might be particularly beneficial for women in preventing cardiovascular disease.
What You Can Do
Regardless of gender, focusing on heart health through healthy lifestyle habits is crucial. But for women, the stakes may be even higher for maintaining these habits consistently:
Stay active daily with moderate exercise suited to your ability.
Enjoy a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Avoid smoking and minimize exposure to secondhand smoke.
Prioritize good sleep habits for at least 7 hours per night.
Regularly check blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels with your healthcare provider.
A Call for Tailored Heart Health Strategies
This groundbreaking study highlights the need for sex-specific health promotion strategies to address cardiovascular risks more effectively and save more lives.
Source: https://www.ontariohealthstudy.ca/the-ontario-health-study-newsletter-november-2025/#story1
For more relevant information and resources, visit the Carebee Industry Updates page.
Thank you for reading.
Team Carebee
