Women may face heart events at lower plaque levels than men, study finds

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 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. 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.