“The male and female hearts have certain differences, both in terms of anatomy and function” affirms Mr. Ioannis Palios MD, PH.D., Cardiologist, Director of the Cardiac Magnetic Tomography Department at Metropolitan Hospital and continues by quoting these differences and how they manifest by gender:

“Key differences include:

Size: Usually, a man’s heart is slightly larger than a woman’s. This is due to the fact that men usually have a larger body size. The size of the female heart is smaller, the heart chambers, i.e. the atria and ventricles, are smaller and the heart walls are thinner.

Heart rate: In general, women have a slightly higher heart rate than men.

Physiology: Certain hormone changes and other physiological differences can affect the way the heart works. For example, male hormones, such as testosterone, can affect heart function.”

Does the difference in anatomy between a woman’s and a man’s heart also mean a difference in their function?

The anatomical difference of the heart between the sexes, although present, does not have a significant effect on the function of the heart. Both the male and female perform their basic function, which is to exchange blood with oxygen and nutrients with all the organs and bones of the body.

“Differences in the anatomy of the female and male heart extend to differences in functionality. The female usually has a higher frequency of pulses per minute, i.e. it beats faster than the male and reacts to stress immediately, mainly by increasing the pulse.

In contrast, the male heart has a lower frequency of beats per minute, i.e. it beats more slowly and reacts to stress mainly by increasing blood pressure. Also, the female heart – at least in the pre-menopausal ages – is protected by the female hormones, estrogen. In fact, statistically it seems that younger women run a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease and cardiovascular events in general.

Men who do not have this protective effect of estrogen, develop heart disease statistically about 10 years earlier than women. However, the cardiovascular risk increases significantly in women after menopause and equals the risk of men,” explains the cardiologist.

How does heart disease manifest itself in men and women?

The fact that heart disease presents with different symptoms between men and women is a subject of study and reference in the clinical field.

“Before visiting the doctor, there is often a misunderstanding of heart symptoms on the part of women, who often confuse the real signs of heart disease. These symptoms include, but are not limited to, feeling weak, short of breath, dizziness, arrhythmias, headache, nausea, sweating, and constipation.

In this case, the description of the above symptoms is distinguished as atypical, as it does not coincide with the standard cardiac indications and, therefore, causes an easy underestimation either by the patient herself or by the doctor treating her.

In contrast, men, according to scientific data, are distinguished by the sensation of typical cardiac complaints, including, but not limited to, severe chest pain, tightness or burning in the chest, as well as the reported flatness in the chest, which may reflect in the back area or extending to the left upper limb or neck.

In addition, data have shown that sudden cardiac death, linked to coronary artery disease, is more common in the male population. On the contrary, the feeling of intense pulses and arrhythmias are observed with greater frequency in the female sex”, the expert points out.

“The above differences in the perception and manifestation of cardiac symptoms between men and women are the subject of attention and require awareness by both the medical world and the general public in order to facilitate the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in all people regardless of gender” concludes Mr. Palios.