According to a study, women who develop heart disease are about 10 years older than men. This is because blood pressure begins to increase at younger ages in women than in men, and also goes up at a faster rate.

The researchers used data collected over 43 years in 32,833 people between the age of 5 and 98. It was found that by the time women are in their 20s, they show faster rates of increase in blood pressure than men, and the difference persists throughout life.

The variation was significant for all blood pressure measures, as well as pulse pressure, and for mean arterial pressure, the average pressure in the arteries from one heartbeat to the next.