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Sex differences in age-related cardiovascular mortality
Tomi S Mikkola1, Mika Gissler, Marko Merikukka
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. tomi.mikkola@hus.fi
Insights
Men have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality earlier in life. Women experience a significant increase in CVD mortality risk around age 60, highlighting the need for targeted prevention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sex-based physiological differences influence disease presentation and risk.
- Conflicting data exist regarding mid-life cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in women.
- This study investigates sex differences in age-adjusted mortality for CVD and non-vascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze sex-specific mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and non-vascular diseases.
- To examine age-related trends in CVD mortality for men and women.
- To identify critical age groups for CVD risk in each sex.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of over one million deaths from the Finnish Causes of Death Register (1986-2009).
- Stratification of mortality data by sex and 5-year age categories.
- Calculation of age-standardized annual mortality rates per 100,000 population.
Main Results:
- Age-standardized CVD mortality was 80% higher in men (442/100,000) than in women (246/100,000).
- Male CVD mortality increased in parallel with non-vascular mortality after age 45-54.
- Female CVD mortality rose significantly faster than non-vascular mortality from age 60 onwards.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality accelerates in men at younger ages.
- Women show a pronounced increase in CVD mortality risk around age 60.
- Urgent need to identify and prevent CVD risk factors in mid-life women.
Introduction:
Sex-related physiological differences result in different expressions of diseases for men and women. Data are contradicting regarding the increase in the female risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) at mid-life. Thus, we studied possible sex differences in age-adjusted mortality for CVD and non-vascular diseases stratifying our findings by specific age groups.
Methods:
Over one million deaths (1 080 910) reported to the Finnish nationwide Causes of Death Register in 1986-2009 were analyzed. A total of 247 942 male deaths and 278 752 female deaths were of CVD origin, the remaining deaths were non-vascular. The annual mortality rates were calculated per 100 000 mid-year population, separately for men and women in 5-year age categories.
Results:
The age-standardized risk of death from CVD was 80% higher for men (442/100 000) than for women (246/100 000). After age 45-54 the male CVD mortality rate elevated parallel to the non-vascular mortality, whereas in women the CVD mortality elevated considerably more rapidly than the non-vascular mortality from age 60 years onwards.
Conclusions:
Heart disease mortality in men accelerates at a relatively young age, but in women the risk shows a steep increase at approximately 60 years of age. These data emphasize the need to identify and prevent risk factors for CVD, especially in women in their mid-life years.
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