Men and women's hearts age differently

A new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) study has found that male and female hearts grow differently over time.
The study focused on one heart chamber, the left ventricle which pumps oxygenated blood around the body.

As people age, the left ventricle's capacity to pump blood decreases causing the walls to thicken from having to work harder in the presence of high blood pressure or other conditions. Studies have shown both increases and decreases in left ventricular mass with age.

The study included MRI scans of the heart of 3,000 people over an average time difference of 9.4 years. None of the participants had cardiovascular diseases when they enrolled in the study. The doctors performed an MRI scan on each participant and the beginning and end of the study.

Comparing the two genders, the researchers found that while both men and women had a fall in left ventricular volume (13 millilitre decrease for women and 10 millilitre for men), left ventricular mass increased in men(eight grams) and decreased slightly in women(1.6 grams). 

These differences emerged even after the researchers controlled for body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, exercise levels and smoking.

"The reasons for the differences between left ventricular mass in men and women will require more research.", said John Eng from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. The findings may help doctors create gender-specific treatments, the researchers said.
The study is published online in the journal Radiology.