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A bigger killer than breast cancer

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. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, says: “Women worry more about breast cancer, yet heart disease kills more than twice as many women.

“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 the UK died over a 10-year period because they did not receive equal treatment to men. In Scotland, seven women a day die from heart disease.

Women are far more likely to die needlessly from a heart attack than men because their chance of being misdiagnosed is 50 per cent higher, a shock report has revealed – and they will probably receive poorer care Michele O’Connor finds out more

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 forfo women. Smoking increasesincrease women’s heart attack risk up to twitwice as much as men’s, high blood pressurepr increases women’s risk 80 per cent more, while type 2 diabetes increincreases women’s risk 50 per cent more. The menopause playsp a part too. “The risk of womwomen having a heart attack increasincreases once they have gone throughthrou the menopause due, in ppart, to a reduction in oestrogen,”oestr explains Dr AmAmeet Bakhai, a consultant cons cardiologist at tthe Spire Bushey Hospital Ho in north London. L Oestrogen, the hormone h that regulates re a menstrual st cycle, also helps he 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

The risk increases have gone throug

misdiagnosis to treatment.

Dr Babu-Narayan adds: “Unconscious biases are limiting the survival chances of women.”

Research shows that both men and women who are initially misdiagnosed have a 70 per cent higher risk of dying – yet women are 50 per cent more likely to receive a wrong initial diagnosis.

They are also less likely to receive treatments such as coronary artery bypass grafting and stents, says

abu-Narayan. nd a National Audit of Cardiac abilitation found that 43 per cent of ble women took up cardiac rehab pared to 53 per cent of eligible men.

adly delays

mingly, of 2,000 women questioned ealthspan, half who had suffered t pains didn’t seek medical advice, ad waiting to see if they improved. those who didn’t, 58 per cent felt it n’t anything serious, 24 per cent t want to waste their doctor’s time, er cent were too worried about what might find out and 10 per cent said were too busy. ut when a heart attack occurs, every ute can make a difference, says abu-Narayan. orget being stoical. Time is heart cle. Call 999. If your heart attack is severe enough to block an artery, the paramedics will see that on the ECG in the ambulance and direct you straight to the cardiac unit rather than A&E.

“This is crucially important and could save your life.”

Discover your history

If there is a family history of coronary heart disease – where your father or brother was diagnosed below the age of 55 or your mother or sister was below the age of 65 – then your risk is increased.

It is important to brush up on family history. And if you are concerned, dig deeper. If there is a history of relatives having heart attacks at an early age, there may be an issue with high cholesterol in the family.

Familial hypercholesterolaemia is a genetic condition that affects around one in every 250 people. It causes abnormally high levels of cholesterol in the blood from a young age.

For more information go to bhf.org.uk

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