Men ‘more likely’ to get surgery offer

MEN are more likely to be offered corrective surgery after suffering a heart attack, a new study suggests.

Scientists have called for further investigation after UK-wide research found that males over the age of 60 were twice as likely to have had coronary artery bypass surgery than females.

The study also showed the risk of death from heart attacks is not as high as previously thought and that more widespread prescription of statins and beta blockers could further improve survival rates.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia and Norwich Medical School found that the greatest survival benefit was associated with prescription of statins, with an average increase in life expectancy of 2.5 years. Prescription of beta blockers was associated with an average increase in life expectancy of 2.0 years.

Lisanne Gitsels, from UEA’s School of Computing Sciences, said: “Our research estimated lower hazards of mortality than previously estimated.

“Importantly, the results are of clinical significance as they show the gains that were achieved from prescription of statins and beta blockers after a heart attack.”

“While men and women were equally likely to be prescribed drugs, men were approximately twice as likely to have had heart surgery (coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention).

“The gender difference could not be explained by difference in demographic and risk profiles, suggesting that there might be a gender discrimination in surgery, which is something which should be investigated further.”