Women ‘more likely than men to die after heart attack’
Women are more than twice as likely to die after a heart attack than men, a new study suggests.
The findings highlight the need for greater awareness of the risks of heart disease in women, researchers say.
According to the study, women aged 55 and below also had to wait 15 minutes longer for treatment after arriving at hospital. Previous studies have found that women who have a heart attack when a major artery feeding into the heart is completely blocked – ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) – have a worse prognosis during their hospital stay compared with men.
Experts suggest this may be because of their older age, increased numbers of other conditions, and stents being used less to open blocked arteries.
Study author Dr Mariana Martinho of Hospital Garcia de Orta, in Almada, Portugal said: ‘Women of all ages who experience a myocardial infarction are at particularly high risk of a poor prognosis.
‘These women need regular monitoring after their heart event, with strict control of blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes, and referral to cardiac rehabilitation.
‘Smoking levels are rising in young women and this should be tackled, along with promoting physical activity and healthy living.’
The new research compared short and long-term outcomes after STEMI in women and men, and looked at whether any sex differences were apparent in both premenopausal (55 years and under) and postmenopausal (over-55) women.
The study included 884 patients, with an average age of 62 years and 27 per cent were women.