LGBTQ: Are Lesbian, Bisexual Women At Risk Of Heart Problems? Is Obesity A Cause?

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For decades, gay, lesbian, and bisexual people have been experiencing health disparities, but the extent and cause of these disparities are unknown, studies state.

Research shows that many of these health disparities are due to discrimination, stigma, and a lack of access to healthcare. This is compounded by a lack of research and data on the specific health needs of LGBTQ+ people [1].

Due to this, these individuals are at a higher risk of developing health issues or having poorer outcomes. Cardiovascular health, however, has gained a great deal of attention in recent years. Let's know more about it here.

Are Lesbian, Bisexual Women At An Increased Risk Of Heart Issues?

A recent study investigated the difference in exposure to cardiovascular risk factors between sexual orientation groups, utilising the Life's Essential 8 score developed by the American Heart Association in 2022 [2].

In order to calculate a score, a variety of factors are taken into account, including a healthy diet, physical activity, managing weight, smoking status, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, total cholesterol, as well as sleep. Scores range from zero to one hundred per cent. The higher the score, the better the heart health [3].

According to the results, lesbian and bisexual women have worse heart health than heterosexual women.

Let's know the important findings from the study:

• Historically, LGBTQ+ people have had worse health in many areas than their heterosexual counterparts.
• Additionally, lesbians, gays, and bisexuals are more likely to report low mental well-being, and more than twice as likely to report mental, behavioural, or neurodevelopmental disorders than heterosexuals.
• There are, however, some areas of health where gay, lesbian, and bisexual people may experience better health outcomes than heterosexuals. For example, they are less likely to suffer from musculoskeletal disorders.
• According to the current study, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender women may be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
• In contrast, gay men had 2.72 points higher cardiovascular health scores after adjustment than heterosexual men, while bisexual men had 0.83 points higher cardiovascular health scores.

Why Lesbians And Bisexual Women Suffer From Poorer Heart Health?

According to the authors of the paper, it is unclear what might be causing these results and further research is required to determine the reason.

This may be due to the fact that lesbians tend to be overweight or obese more frequently than heterosexual women and that gay men tend to be less overweight or obese than heterosexual men [4].

According to researchers, lesbian and bisexual women may have less contact with healthcare providers during pregnancy or in regard to contraception, which may contribute to the lower cardiovascular health score.

On A Final Note...

Despite shedding light on the topic, it is possible to say that it raised more questions than it answered.