Since cardiovascular research has typically focused on men, the medical community doesn’t know as much about the dangers of arterial vascular diseases in women, according to a recent study. As a result, women with these diseases too often go undiagnosed.

The study, published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, discusses three types of conditions: Carotid stenosis – blockages in the arteries supplying the brain with blood; aortic aneurismal disease – problems in the aorta, which goes from the heart to the lower body; and lower extremity arterial occlusive disease – related to poor blood flow in the legs.

Women may be particularly threatened by these conditions because the risk of vascular conditions rises steeply after menopause – and women now often live decades after the onset of menopause.

Other issues raised in the study include:

• Since the carotid and vertebral arteries – found in the neck – are smaller in women, it takes less plaque buildup here to reduce blood flow.
   
• Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms may be particularly important in women with certain risk factors, such as advanced age, a history of smoking, or a family history of this problem.
   
• Osteoporosis, and possibly the use of hormone replacement therapy, increases women’s risk of poor blood flow in the legs.

Learn more about carotid artery screening

Learn more about abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

Learn more about screening for osteoporosis

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