Male and female heart: How different are they, after all?

The heart is a fascinating and complex organ that is essential to our lives, and understanding its function is critical to maintaining heart health and preventing heart disease. The male and female hearts have certain differences, both in anatomy and function. The main differences include:

Size. This is due to the fact that men usually have a larger body size. The size of a woman's 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 female and male hearts mean a difference in their function?

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

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

In contrast, the male heart has a lower rate 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 age group - is protected by the female hormones, oestrogen. In fact, statistically it appears that younger women are at lower risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular events in general. Men who do not have this protective effect of oestrogen statistically develop heart disease about 10 years earlier than women. However, the cardiovascular risk increases significantly in women after menopause and equals that of men.

How does heart disease manifest itself in men and women?

The fact that heart disease manifests itself 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 cardiac symptoms on the part of women, who often confuse the actual signs of heart disease. These symptoms include, but are not limited to, feelings of weakness, difficulty in breathing, and a feeling of being in pain.