Lesbian and bisexual women are at higher risk of heart disease, study finds

A new study has found that lesbian and bisexual women are at higher risk of heart disease due to the traumatic abuse and neglect they face.

Researchers have found that sexual minority women are more likely than straight women to be stressed, use tobacco, binge drink and be obese – which are all cardiovascular risk factors.

Abuse, neglect and other trauma women from these sexual orientations face could be behind the trend, according to researchers, but the reasons remain unclear.

The study found lesbian and bisexual women are almost 60% more likely to have diabetes, more than 40% more likely to be depressed or report overeating and 30% more likely to have anxiety.

They are also at higher risk of post traumatic stress disorder and feeling as though they have less social support.

Dr Billy Caceres, of Columbia University School of Nursing in the United States, said: ‘These findings suggest healthcare providers should screen for trauma as a cardiovascular disease risk factor in this population, according to the authors.’

Researchers analysed how increasing trauma severity was linked with higher reports of cardiovascular risk factors among almost 550 lesbian and bisexual women.

They measured three forms of trauma the women experienced during childhood and adulthood, including physical and sexual abuse, as well as their overall lifetime trauma.

Parental neglect during childhood and intimate partner violence during adulthood were also measured.

Lifetime trauma was then determined by the overall total.