Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – As heart disease is one of the leading causes of death the many factors impacting it become crucial for cariologist to tackle the condition. Even though we have key advances in medicine, many people are still unaware of the early signs, risk factors, and steps they can take to protect their health in relation to their heart.
The continuous studies are helping uncover new insights into heart disease, such as how it affects men and women differently and the role of genetics, inflammation, and gut health in cardiovascular risk. Innovations like cardiac imaging, wearable monitors, and AI-driven diagnostics are improving early detection and personalizing treatment.
Ultimately, knowledge is power. By staying informed and proactive about heart health, individuals can take meaningful steps to bring down their risk and lead longer, healthier lives.
Women living with type 2 diabetes are almost twice as likely as men to experience hidden heart damage, according to significant new research led by scientists in the UK. The study was supported by a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Professorship.
Published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, the study is among the most comprehensive to date to explore coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), highlighting differences in risk between men and women who show no outward symptoms of heart disease.
CMD refers to early-stage, undetectable heart damage resulting from poor circulation in the heart’s tiniest blood vessels. By analyzing data from four separate studies at the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and using advanced MRI imaging, the researchers discovered that 46% of women with type 2 diabetes showed evidence of CMD—compared to only 26% of men.
Gerry McCann, NIHR Research Professor at the University of Leicester and lead author of the study indicated that they were detecting early indicators of heart disease that routine screenings often miss — and it is women who appear to be at greatest risk.
He further indicated that what it particularly striking about this research is that every participant showed no outward symptoms — no diagnosed heart conditions, no chest discomfort, no breathlessness. But the scans revealed otherwise.
Dr Gaurav Gulsin, co-author and NIHR Clinical Lecturer, indicated that the research revealed that the underlying causes of CMD vary between sexes. Among women, the strongest association was with elevated body mass index (BMI), while in men, increased blood pressure played a more prominent role.
He further stressed that this highlights the need to reconsider how we evaluate heart disease risk and suggests that men and women may benefit from tailored, sex-specific treatment strategies.
The publication also represents a significant achievement for the NIHR Leicester BRC, demonstrating the strength of collaborative efforts between the Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, and Diabetes teams in uncovering intricate patterns that would have been difficult to detect working independently.
“This is a fantastic example of what happens when teams across specialisms come together with a shared goal to spot disease earlier and improve outcomes for patients. It’s exactly what the BRC was set up to do,” explained Professor of Diabetes Medicine, Melanie Davies CBE, Director of the NIHR Leicester BRC, who is a co-author of the publication as well.
“The findings have significant implications for future prevention strategies. Interventions like weight loss for women and blood pressure control for men could help reduce early heart damage long before it progresses into heart failure which is a condition especially common in people with type 2 diabetes.”
The findings of the study will further assist in monitoring and preventing heart disease by taking a gender specific approach.
The NIHR Leicester BRC is a member of the NIHR network and is hosted by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, working in collaboration with the University of Leicester, Loughborough University, and the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.
