Women are hit harder by heart attacks

Women experience vague symptoms as well and that means heart attacks often go undetected

Women are more likely than men to die within a year of their first heart attack, according to the American Heart Association. Heart attacks affect both men and women — but women are hit harder, a new statement revealed.

That’s because while both genders experience chest pain as the primary symptom, women often have atypical, vague symptoms as well — such as back or jaw pain, nausea or a sense of dread.

Lead statement author Dr Laxmi Mehta, of The Ohio State University, said: “These symptoms can be very challenging for the patient and the medical profession. Women tend to under recognise or deny them. When they are at the emergency department, it is important for these symptoms to be triaged appropriately as potential heart problems. Otherwise the consequences are misdiagnosis, delayed treatment and higher death rates.”

Cardivascular disease is often considered to be a “man’s problem” — because high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stress, smoking and drinking are common health issues in older men. Heart attacks caused by blockages in the main arteries leading to the heart can occur in both men and women. However, women often have no significant blockage — or experience different types of heart attacks. For instance, a woman can experience a heart attack as a result of an intense muscle spasm that abruptly decreases blood flow to the heart — more often than men. Women, however are under-treated compared to men.

While the most common heart attack symptom is

c hes t pain or discomfort for both sexes, the fact that women experience vague symptoms as well means heart attacks often go undetected.

Furthermore, high blood pressure is more strongly associated with heart attacks in women. Additionally, having diabetes increases a young woman’s risk of heart disease four to five times greater than the risk facing young men.

Dr Mehta said: “We don’t yet clearly understand why women have different causes and symptoms of heart attacks. Women are more complex, there are more biological variables such as hormonal fluctuations.”

On top of that, social, environmental and community differences also play a role in how women’s treatment differs from men’s. More women suffer from depression related to their heart disease — and that could hinder their treatment.

Women also less often complete cardiac rehabilitation because of work and family responsibilities — or a lack of support. Dr Mehta said: “Women are great at nagging their spouses, so they make sure their partner takes their medications, goes to cardiac rehab, eats better and sees the doctor. Unfortunately many women don’t make their own personal health their priority, which contributes to more favorable outcomes in men versus women after a heart attack.”

The doctor noted that understanding gender differences can help improve prevention and treatment among women. — Source: www.

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