Women suffer worse heart disease outcomes than men: Study

New Delhi, August 30

Women suffer worse outcomes when diagnosed with and treated for cardiac issues, according to the results of fifteen studies from 50 countries, including India.

The researchers noted that the discrepancy is the result of women presenting with additional non-traditional chest pain symptoms including vomiting, jaw pain and abdominal pain.

If and when these symptoms are missed by doctors, or by the patients themselves, diagnosis and treatments are delayed, they said.

“We found stunning differences between men and women in the diagnosing of cardiovascular disease, treatment and symptoms,” said Mahdi O. Garelnabi, Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, US.

“Women tend to go to the hospital later than men after the onset of symptoms and physicians are not admitting women to the hospital at the same rates as men,” Garelnabi said.

The analysis, published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, also points out that heart attack rates among younger women are climbing.

Heart attacks among women aged 35 to 54 increased from 21 per cent to 31 per cent between 1995 and 2014, the study shows.

During the same period, the rate for men rose only slightly, from 30 to 33 per cent, according to the researchers. “It’s alarming that heart attack rates are increasing in younger women,” said Garelnabi.

“Risk factors that are unique to women include premature menopause, endometriosis and hypertension disorders during pregnancy,” the researcher said.

The findings are based on the results of fifteen studies from 50 countries, including Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Arabian Gulf countries and the US among others. The analysis encompasses the experiences of over 2.3 million people.