Women may have cleaner arteries than men on average— but it may not protect them from serious heart disease.Researchers followed more than 42-hundred adults and found fewer women had artery-clogging plaque — 55% compared to 75% of men.Women also had about half the plaque volume. But their risk of suffering a major heart problem was similar, according to the data.Over about two years of follow-up, women were just as likely as men to die, have a non-fatal heart attack, or be hospitalized for chest pain.The study also found women’s heart risk started to rise at lower plaque levels than men – 20% compared to 28%, and increased more sharply as plaque levels went up, particularly after menopause.The senior author says, “Because women have smaller coronary arteries, a small amount of plaque can have a bigger impact.”The American Heart Association says the study is yet another reminder that cardiovascular disease can affect men and women in very different ways.Source: Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging Author Affiliations Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Heidelberg University, Boston Children’s Hospital, Semmelweis University, Gottsegen National Cardiovascular Center, Óbuda University, University Hospital Augsburg, Duke University School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter