By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Trauma may be more than psychologically damaging for women: New research suggests it also could boost their chances of heart trouble.

Close to 300 nonsmoking women who were approaching or were past menopause were analyzed in the new study. They were asked about their life history of traumatic experiences such as sexual harassment, death of a child, being in a car crash, surviving a natural disaster, or being beaten or mugged.

Women who reported three or more traumatic experiences had poorer function of the inner lining of the heart and blood vessels (endothelial function) than those with fewer traumatic experiences.

Reduced endothelial function increases the risk of heart disease, the researchers noted.

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Endothelial cell heterogeneity is mediated by one of two proximate mechanisms (Fig. 1) (Aird 2006). First, some site- and time-dependent differences in…