The risk of heart attack is surpassing the risk in men. Researchers say that middle-aged women are more commonly becoming patients of heart attacks as compared to men.

Over the last 20 years the gender gap has become narrower as the risk in midlife is increasing in women and steadily falling in men.

The blame can partly be put on smoking since very few women are quitting smoking and are thus suffering ill-effects at a younger age.

Two studies were conducted involving 8,000 adults aged between the ages 35-54. They were analyzed between the years 1988-1994 and 1999-2004.

It was observed that men had more heart attacks than women in the same age group, but the gap narrowed over time.

“Although men in their midlife years continue to have a higher prevalence of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and a higher ten-year risk of hard coronary heart disease than women of similar age, our study suggests the risk is increasing in women, while decreasing in men”: said researcher Dr Amytis Towfighi, of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

In the UK, there are 108,000 deaths a year from heart and circulatory disorders among women, compared with 100,000 deaths in men.