Less artery-clogging plaque in women’s arteries did not appear to protect them from heart disease compared to men, according to a study published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, an American Heart Association journal.
While heart disease is the leading cause of illness and death in the U.S. and worldwide, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, women tend to have a lower prevalence of artery plaque than men, according to previous research.
This study evaluated health data for more than 4,200 adults (more than half of whom were women) to compare how quantity of plaque influenced the risk of major heart conditions. The study included people with stable chest pain and no prior history of coronary artery disease. Participants were randomized to undergo diagnostic evaluation via coronary computed tomography angiography (X-ray images of the heart and blood vessels) and followed for about two years.
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