Women ‘unaware of heart disease risk’

● Charity says female patients may not receive same care as men

Scottish women are underestimating their risk of coronary heart disease, a survey has found.

Coronary heart disease kills nearly three times as many women as breast cancer in Scotland, but a Yougov survey for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that 57 per cent of Scottish women were concerned about the risk of breast cancer compared with 51 per cent concerned about heart disease.

The survey was published to coincide with a BHF report highlighting the urgent need to raise awareness of heart disease in women, and raising the issue of inequalities between the sexes, because women may not receive the same treatment and care as men. Every year coronary heart disease, including heart attacks and angina, kills around 2,600 women in Scotland – seven women a day – and there are around 100,000 women in Scotland living with coronary heart disease, the BHF said.

The charity said: “Too many women are not aware that they are at risk. The common perception that heart disease affects men leads to women being less likely to recognise the symptoms of a heart attack and more likely to delay seeking help, which can cost lives.”

Professor Colin Berry, professor of cardiology and imaging at the University of Glasgow and Golden Jubilee National Hospital, says: “At every stage – from the moment they experience symptoms through to their rehabilitation – women with heart disease can face disadvantages. This has to change.

“We know that women often wait longer before calling 999 after first experiencing heart attack symptoms. But that delay can dramatically reduce the chance of survival. Women may be less likely to receive a timely diagnosis and, even after the event, women are less likely to be offered cardiac rehabilitation. It is incumbent on us all to work together to address these issues to help save and improve lives.”

The Scottish Government recently announced its commitment to a women’s health plan which will include action to address inequalities for women with heart disease. The BHF believes the appointment of a women’s heart champion for Scotland should be considered as a next step, to further ensure the issue is prioritised, raise awareness among women of the risks and symptoms, and promote equality of timely diagnosis and treatment.

Kylie Strachan, BHF Scotland’s policy and public affairs manager, said: “Women are suffering and dying because of the inequalities they face in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.”