The female heart would respond differently from the male one to stress. And this difference could have an impact on the modalities of the onset of some pathological forms of arrhythmia, which appear to be strictly linked to emotional tension.
To report it is a search appeared on Science Advances and coordinated by scholars from the University of California Davis, led by JL Caldwell e Crystal M. Ripplinger. Let me be clear. We are still in the very early stages of testing. And the data is only on animals. But the research paves the way for the need to increasingly develop gender cardiology, to arrive at targeted treatments that can specifically respond to the needs of women, in particular for some forms of arrhythmia and heart failure.
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The heart becomes a source of light
The study directly evaluated the response of the heart in real time in animals after the administration of a classic neurotransmitter that acts in the stress response, norepinephrine. To understand what happens, the scholars have used a fluorescence system that allows to “illuminate” the heart and to evaluate the differences in terms of light before and after the administration of the substance.
In practice, the experts have evaluated animals whose heart can emit light during specific chemical reactions mediated by a particular compound that comes into play in the reaction induced on the heart by neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine. These light signals were then decoded using custom-made instruments, allowing the researchers to record the heart’s reaction to norepinephrine in real time, along with changes in electrical activity and therefore the onset of rhythm disturbances.
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The different cardiac reactions to stress
What happens? Initially the hearts of male and female animals behave in a superimposable way under the stimulus of norepinephrine. But there are certain areas of the female heart that tend to return to normal more quickly than seen in males, resulting in differences in electrical activity.
In particular in women, according to the study, there are changes in the so-called cardiac “repolarization”, in practice the way in which the heart automatically resets itself after each beat to move on to the next. This mechanism, obviously completely involuntary and imperceptible, could be the basis of some types of arrhythmias. And it seems important to study it in depth in the future. At the moment, in fact, it cannot be said whether the different response of the female heart has a protective meaning or could be harmful. But it can be argued that the response to stress is different between men and women, as is the impact of this acute reaction on the heart, necessitating gender-focused approaches.
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More attention to gender cardiology
“For cardiology it is and will be increasingly important to consider gender medicine in terms of different predispositions and responses to stimuli that lead to heart disease and arrhythmias – he comments Giulio Molon, Director of the Cardiology Unit – Irccs Sacro Cuore Don Calabria of Negrar. In particular, the study highlights a different response to Noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter that acts as a result of physical activity, fear, emotions, and consequently a different arrhythmic risk. In fact, the non-homogeneous responses between the two sexes lead to changes in the repolarization phase of the cells, a critical moment in which many arrhythmias are triggered”.
For now, only a different response is described without reaching any conclusion as to whether the female population is more protected or is more at risk for these specific responses. But obviously the research must continue, as indeed is happening throughout cardiology with some fixed points already ascertained.
“Cardiovascular risk factors are changing in women in particular – I am referring to major cigarette smoke and metabolic syndrome – pregnancy brings hormonal and metabolic changes, there are autoimmune diseases with increased cardiovascular risk – reports the expert. This study is a starting point for continuing research in order to pursue increasingly targeted diagnostics and therapy for heart disease and arrhythmias in women”.
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