{"id":6005,"date":"2023-09-20T04:28:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T04:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnewscentral.com\/?p=6005"},"modified":"2023-09-20T04:28:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T04:28:56","slug":"bisexual-and-lesbian-women-have-worse-heart-health-compared-to-straight-women-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnewscentral.com\/bisexual-and-lesbian-women-have-worse-heart-health-compared-to-straight-women-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Bisexual And Lesbian Women Have Worse Heart Health Compared To Straight Women, Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a recent study, research that involved around 170,000 participants has shed light on the possible disparities in heart health scores among individuals of different sexual orientations.<\/p>\n

Notably, the study findings suggest that lesbian and bisexual women may have a lower likelihood of achieving ideal heart health<\/a> scores compared to heterosexual women. On the other hand, gay or bisexual men exhibited higher heart health measures than their heterosexual counterparts, but this pattern was observed primarily in urban areas.<\/p>\n

The study<\/a>, which was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association<\/a> on May 17, is the first to assess cardiovascular health disparities within the LGBTQ+ community using the American Heart Association\u2019s (AHA) Life\u2019s Essential 8<\/a> checklist among gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, says the researchers.<\/p>\n

Study lead author\u00a0Omar Deraz, MD<\/a>, a researcher with Inserm<\/a>, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, and the Paris Cardiovascular Research Center’s Integrative Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease Team, said in a\u00a0news release<\/a>, \u201cImproving these metrics is a great opportunity to prevent heart problems before they happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What Is Life\u2019s Essential 8?<\/h3>\n

Life\u2019s Essential 8 (LE8) is a set of health behaviors and health factors developed by the AHA that promote good cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n

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  1. Eat better.<\/strong>\u00a0A\u00a0Mediterranean-type diet<\/a>\u00a0that focuses on whole foods (not processed) and eating lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.<\/li>\n
  2. Be more active.<\/strong>\u00a0Adults should get\u00a02.5 hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  3. Quit tobacco.\u00a0<\/strong>The use of traditional cigarettes,\u00a0e-cigarettes<\/a>, and vaping is the\u00a0leading cause of preventable deaths<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  4. Get healthy sleep.\u00a0<\/strong>Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night.<\/li>\n
  5. Manage weight.\u00a0<\/strong>Achieving and maintaining a\u00a0healthy weight<\/a>\u00a0can help in the prevention of many chronic diseases. Body mass index (BMI), as detailed by the\u00a0Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>, is one way to gauge weight; between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered the health range.<\/li>\n
  6. Control cholesterol.\u00a0<\/strong>Heart-healthy cholesterol numbers: total cholesterol of under 200,\u00a0LDL cholesterol<\/a>\u00a0under 100, and\u00a0HDL cholesterol<\/a>\u00a0of 60 and higher, per the\u00a0Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  7. Manage blood sugar.\u00a0<\/strong>High levels of blood sugar can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. An\u00a0A1C<\/a>\u00a0below 5.7 percent is normal, and a fasting blood sugar of 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg\/dL) or lower is normal, according to the\u00a0CDC<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  8. Manage blood pressure<\/strong>. Optimal\u00a0blood pressure<\/a>\u00a0is 120\/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    LE8 is actually the new version of AHA\u2019s former health initiative called Life\u2019s Simple 7 (LS7). It was just in 2022 that healthy sleep<\/a> was included as an additional essential health behavior.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Study Finds Lesbians Had Lower Heart Health Scores in High Blood Pressure and Diet<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The research drew upon health data from approximately 169,400 adults in France who participated in the nationwide Constances<\/a> study. Among the participants, 53 percent were women, all free of heart disease, with an average age of 46.<\/p>\n

    With the female group, 93 percent identified as heterosexual, around 3.5 percent identified as bisexual, and 0.61 percent identified as lesbian. Among the male participants, 90 percent identified as heterosexual, 2.5 percent as bisexual, and 3 percent as gay. Approximately 3 percent chose not to disclose their sexual orientation.<\/p>\n

    The researchers meticulously accounted for various factors that could influence the results, including family history of cardiovascular disease, age, employment statues, education and household income.<\/p>\n

    Using AHA guidelines, heart health scores (both LE8 and LS7) were computed in each area and then averaged. Key findings include:<\/p>\n