Unexpected Cause of Cardiovascular Disease Revealed

Women who consider themselves to be “lower” in social status may have an increased risk of hidden cardiovascular diseases, according to scientists who conducted a study using cardiac MRI. The results were published in the journal Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine.

The study involved 443 people without clinically diagnosed heart disease. Scientists assessed their subjective social status (SSS) — how much a person feels above or below others in the social hierarchy — and compared it with indicators of inflammation and fibrosis in heart tissue. Women with low SSS showed a more pronounced association with signs of fibrosis (increased T1 indicators on MRI), while no such dependence was observed in men.

The authors emphasize that even in the absence of objective medical symptoms, a subjective feeling of “social disorganization” can trigger hidden inflammatory processes in the body. This is especially true for women, which indicates the need to take into account gender differences in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Previously, scientists found that just three nights of sleep deprivation causes changes in the blood associated with an increased risk of heart failure, ischemia, and arrhythmia. It turned out that sleep deprivation weakens the body's defense response to physical exertion and increases inflammatory processes.