A Woman Drinks From a Fountain
IN PHOTO: A woman drinks water from a water fountain during a hot day in central Sydney January 5, 2010. Australia experienced its hottest decade on record, from 2000 to 2010, due to global warming, the nation's bureau of meteorology said on Tuesday, as annual summer bushfires again burn drought lands and destroy homes. Reuters/Daniel Munoz

A new research discovered that middle-aged and older women are at risk of heart attack if faced with traumatic events. A notable 65 percent possibility that these women may suffer from heart attack even if there are no risk factors or socioeconomic indicators present.

The study, presented at the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2015 Scientific Sessions, investigated on the specific circumstances that affect cardiovascular health among women of this age group who have and have not experienced a heart attack. Aside from traumatic events, the researchers also found that financial struggles also affect heart health by two-fold; the most vulnerable of all are those living in household with an income of less than $50,000 annually -- still above the federal poverty threshold.

"Much of the prior research related to negative life events was done in persons who have a history of heart attacks and in men," noted senior study author Michelle A. Albert, who is also the director of the CeNter for the StUdy of AdveRsiTy and CardiovascUlaR DisEase, or NURTURE Center, at the University of California Medical Center, San Francisco. "It is important to assess these relationships in middle-aged and older women as this age group is more susceptible to heart disease as they age and are likely to live longer with disability."

The study was performed by getting data from 26,763 women, aged 56 years on the average. They were asked about the different negative life events that they have encountered, such as unemployment, financial struggles and death of a relative, amongst others; they were followed up after nine years. The authors also compared 267 women who suffered a heart attack with 281 women smokers.

"We don't know whether women are more physiologically vulnerable as some prior research suggests that decreases in blood flow to the heart caused by acute mentally-induced stress is more common in women and individuals with less social support," Albert noted. "At the biological level, we know that adverse experiences including psychological ones can lead to increased inflammation and cortisol levels. However, the interplay between gender, heart disease and psychological factors is poorly understood."

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