Longevity & AgingWomen and men recover differently after a heart attack, and their blood markers show it
Women and men differ in how acute coronary syndrome (ACS) unfolds, but little is known about how blood biomarkers change afterward. Using the Dutch BIOMArCS study, researchers followed 787 ACS patients (22% women) who had no repeat event, with serial blood draws over one year. After adjusting for age, BMI and kidney function, women had lower high-sensitivity troponin T but higher NT-proBNP and hs-CRP than men. In a 191-patient subcohort, women also had higher galectin-3 and HDL and lower sST2. Confidence intervals overlapped despite statistical significance, so sex-specific thresholds may be worth exploring but need confirmation in larger prospective studies.