Health
Inflammation’s Hidden Role in Women’s Heart Disease
Health Points
- New research links inflammation to heart disease in women, even without classic risk factors.
- High levels of hsCRP, a blood inflammation marker, greatly increase cardiovascular risk.
- Lifestyle habits like exercise and healthy eating can help lower inflammation.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women, yet many focus only on well-known risks like high cholesterol and smoking.
A recent study found that even healthy women with no typical warning signs had a higher chance of heart problems if their inflammation levels were elevated.
“The people in this study had none of those, and thus would be totally missed by the risk algorithms doctors routinely use,” said Dr. Paul Ridker, a study author from Harvard University.
Researchers tracked over 12,000 American women with no standard modifiable risk factors, monitoring their inflammation marker, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), for 30 years.
Women with higher hsCRP levels faced a significantly greater risk of heart attacks and strokes, highlighting inflammation’s underestimated impact.
“Inflammation, measured by the hsCRP blood test, is at least, if not more, predictive of future heart attack and stroke than is cholesterol,” Dr. Ridker added.
Dr. Joy Gelbman, a cardiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, emphasized, “We know that inflammation is a key driver of nearly every step in the continuum, from plaque formation to plaque rupture, can cause dysfunction of the vessel walls, promote lipid buildup, and cause cholesterol plaque to become unstable.”
The findings suggest that monitoring inflammation could help identify more women at risk, despite not having the usual red flags.
Still, not all experts recommend universal testing of hsCRP. “Elevated hsCRP can cause worry, and many people with high hsCRP will never develop heart disease,” noted Dr. Harlan Krumholz of Yale School of Medicine.
While the test may be useful for some, maintaining heart health through exercise, a balanced diet, and other smart habits remains essential for lowering inflammation.
Take charge of your heart health by staying active and fueling your body with nutrient-rich foods—small changes can make a big difference at any age.
