Younger women face deadlier heart attack risks than men under 55

Younger adults, particularly women, face a higher risk of severe outcomes from heart attacks than previously recognised. New research shows that women under 55 are more likely to die in hospital after a heart attack compared to men of the same age. The findings also highlight how nontraditional risk factors play a bigger role in these deaths than classic ones like smoking or high cholesterol.

The study examined hospital records of patients under 55 treated for two types of heart attack: STEMI (severe) and non-STEMI (less severe). For STEMI, 3.1% of women died in hospital, compared to 2.6% of men. With non-STEMI, women's mortality reached 1%, while men's remained below that figure.

Women also received fewer cardiovascular procedures than men, despite experiencing similar rates of in-hospital complications. Researchers noted that women carried more nontraditional risk factors, such as low income and kidney disease, which were more strongly linked to death than traditional risks like hypertension or diabetes.

General statistics show men account for about 58% of heart attack deaths in Germany. However, hospital mortality for STEMI in Europe ranges between 4% and 12%, depending on the study. The new data did not include specific numbers on patient distribution by age, gender, or ethnicity.

The results suggest that earlier identification of risk factors—especially nontraditional ones—could improve survival for younger heart attack patients. Targeted strategies for women under 55 may help reduce the higher mortality rates observed in this group. Hospitals and clinicians are being urged to consider these findings when assessing and treating younger adults with heart attack symptoms.