Female hormones 'delay heart attacks in women'

Hormones released during menstruation protect females against heart attacks according to a hospital consultant.

Dr Ibris Adbeish, a senior specialist consultant in Somerset, says that women who have not reached their menopause are less likey to have a heart attack than men of a similar age.

When women's menstruation and periods cease, and they reach menopause, the frequency of heart attacks increases in line with men, he said.

A recent study carried out in the US found the average age of woman admitted to hospital with a heart attack is 74, compared with 67 for men.

Symptoms also differ between males and females.The authors of the study, writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, said that 42 per cent of woman did not experience chest pain compared with 30 per cent of men.

Woman under 45 were 30 per cent less likely to suffer chest pain than men of the same age. The diference dropped to around 25 per cent between ages 45 and 65 and after 75 there was no difference.

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