Women With Autoimmune Diseases Face Higher Risk Of Heart Disease Death: Study (Image Credits: iStock)
A new study has found that women living with common autoimmune inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or systemic sclerosis are at a significantly higher risk of dying from heart disease compared to men.
The research, published on May 5 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, revealed that women with these autoimmune conditions had a 50 per cent higher death rate from heart disease than men.
“These diseases already affect women more than men. Now, we’re seeing that women also carry a heavier burden when it comes to heart-related deaths,” said Dr. Heba Wassif, the senior author and director of cardio-rheumatology at the Cleveland Clinic.
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are far more common in women. In fact, women are two to three times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis and nine times more likely to be diagnosed with lupus. Systemic sclerosis, a disease that causes the skin to harden and can affect internal organs, is also more common in women.
The study analyzed U.S. data from 1999 to 2020, including over 127,000 heart-related deaths among 281,000 total deaths in patients with these autoimmune diseases. While heart disease-related deaths have decreased overall — from 3.9 to 2.1 per 100,000 in women, and from 1.7 to 1.2 per 100,000 in men — women continue to die at a higher rate than men.
Researchers noted that stroke and clogged arteries were the leading causes of death, and women were more likely to die from both. Women were also twice as likely to die from irregular heart rhythms and sudden cardiac arrest.
Among the conditions studied, people with rheumatoid arthritis had the highest risk of dying from heart problems.
Dr. Issam Motairek, the study’s lead author, stressed the need to raise awareness. “There’s a common belief that people with autoimmune diseases mainly die from infections or kidney problems. But our findings show that about one-third of these patients die from heart disease.”
Doctors recommend early and regular screening for heart disease risk factors in patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. Managing cholesterol, blood pressure, diet, and physical activity is essential in reducing heart-related risks.
This study highlights the urgent need for improved heart health monitoring and treatment, especially for women with autoimmune conditions.
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