Study Finds Inflammation a Major Heart Disease Risk Factor for Women

A three-decade study involving more than 12,000 women has found that inflammation poses a heart disease risk equal to high cholesterol, significantly contributing to heart attacks and strokes in women who otherwise appear healthy. The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid and published in the European Heart Journal, call for routine inflammation testing in cardiovascular screenings

The research analyzed data from the Women’s Health Study, initiated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in the 1990s. Among 12,530 women with no standard modifiable risk factors for heart disease, also known as SMuRFs, 973 experienced cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes over 30 years. Higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of inflammation, were strongly linked to these outcomes

Dr. Paul Ridker, preventive cardiologist at Mass General Brigham and professor of medicine at Harvard University, emphasized the significance of the findings. “Half of all heart attacks and strokes occur in people who do not have any major risk factors,” Ridker said. He added that inflammation testing could identify at-risk women overlooked by current screening practices.

Currently, inflammation testing is not standard in the United States, while in Europe measuring hsCRP is already a routine part of care. An hsCRP test is relatively inexpensive and widely available, yet most women in the U.S. are not screened.

Dr. Anais Hausvater, cardiologist and co-director of the Cardio-Obstetrics Research Program at NYU Langone Health, described the study as “potentially practice changing.” She noted that despite growing evidence of inflammation’s role in cardiovascular risk, most women remain unscreened. Hausvater recommended patients ask their physicians to test for hsCRP.

The study also highlighted treatment implications. High inflammation can be managed with statins, medications typically prescribed for high cholesterol. A prior clinical trial found that women with elevated inflammation but no other risk factors saw a 38 percent reduction in serious cardiovascular events when given statins. Without hsCRP testing, these women would not qualify for such therapy.

Dr. Tania Ruiz, cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said the findings underscore the role of inflammation in plaque formation and vulnerability. She added that women with autoimmune conditions like lupus may be at greater risk for elevated hsCRP.

Experts agree that broader adoption of inflammation testing could reshape preventive cardiology. “This is another tool women should be offered to assess their risk,” Hausvater said. “The bottom line is that physicians will not treat what they don’t measure,” Ridker added.

The study positions inflammation testing as a critical component of heart disease prevention, particularly for women who appear healthy under current screening guidelines but remain vulnerable to serious cardiovascular events.

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