Time for women to get heart smart

Females are far more likely to die needlessly from a heart attack than males because their chance of being misdiagnosed is 50% higher, a shock report has revealed. And they will probably receive poorer care as well. finds out more

The risk increases once they have gone through menopause

Michele O’Connor A bigger killer than breast cancer

“Women worry more about breast cancer, yet heart disease kills more than twice as many women,” explains British Heart Foundation (BHF) medical director Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan.

Every year, around 35,000 women are admitted to hospital following a heart attack in the UK – around 100 women a day or four per hour.

“Heart attacks have never been more treatable,” says Dr Babu-Narayan. “But women delay. They tend to come into hospital later – and sicker – putting their lives at more risk.”

In fact, BHF-funded research estimates that more than 8,200 women in England and Wales died over a 10-year period because they did not receive equal treatment to men.

Know the signs

“Heart attacks are nearly always portrayed on screen featuring a middle-aged man clutching his chest in agony,” says Dr Babu-Narayan.

“In reality, chest pain symptoms can seem more subtle.”

Although sudden chest pain and discomfort that doesn’t go away is the most recognised symptom of a heart attack, some people feel a heaviness or pressure on their chest.

There may be pain or numbness radiating to the arms – both left and right – neck, jaw, stomach and back. You may experience pain, ranging from simply uncomfortable to severe, in just one or all of these places.

Other symptoms include feeling sick, sweaty, light-headed or short of breath or a sudden feeling of anxiety that can feel similar to a panic attack.

Male bias

Heart disease and heart attacks are still seen as a male problem.

One in 10 women believes only men have to worry about heart complaints, according to a survey of 2,000 women by Healthspan. And, staggeringly, one in eight don’t even believe women have heart attacks.

The risk factors for heart disease are often more deadly for women.

Smoking increases women’s heart attack risk up to twice as much as men’s, high blood pressure increases women’s risk 80% more, while type 2 diabetes increases women’s risk 50% more.

The menopause plays a part too. “The risk of women having a heart attack increases once they have gone through the menopause due, in part, to a reduction in oestrogen,” explains Dr Ameet Bakhai, a consultant cardiologist at the Spire Bushey Hospital in North London.

Oestrogen, the hormone that regulates a menstrual cycle, also helps to control cholesterol levels, which in turn helps protect against fatty plaques building up inside the artery walls.

But during and after menopause, as the body continues to produce less oestrogen, the risk from coronary heart disease also continues to rise.

The odds are stacked against women because there is a gender gap at every stage of the care pathway – from misdiagnosis nosis to treatment.

“Unconscious us biases are limiting the survival chances of women,” warns Dr Babu-Narayan.

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