2023/08/04
by Karen Angelo
A new analysis of 15 global studies on cardiovascular disease shows that women are slower to diagnose and treat heart disease than men, resulting in worse outcomes for women than men. .
Professor Mahdi Gharelnabi of the Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences Association and his colleagues reviewed studies conducted in more than 50 countries involving more than 2.3 million people. The analysis covers a wide range of regions including the Arabian Gulf, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, the United States, and more.
“We found surprising differences between men and women in the diagnosis, treatment, and symptoms of cardiovascular disease,” said the director of the North American Vascular Biology Organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Mr. Garelnabi, who serves as the head of the company, says: “Women tend to be slower than men to go to the hospital after symptoms develop. And doctors are not admitting women at the same rate as men.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 60 million women have some form of heart disease, making it the number one killer of both men and women worldwide.
The analysis, published in the August 2023 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, found that when women experience heart problems, they can suffer from more than just chest pain. I concluded. Symptoms such as vomiting, jaw pain, and abdominal pain are also common. If these symptoms are overlooked by doctors or patients themselves, diagnosis and treatment will be delayed.
Heart disease is more common in young women than in men
The analysis also noted that the incidence of heart attacks among young women is rising. The rate of heart attacks in women between the ages of 35 and 54 increased from 21% to 31% between 1995 and 2014. Over the same period, the percentage of men increased slightly from 30% to 33% of her.
Another study of nearly 15,000 patients with coronary artery disease found that among younger patients, women had a six-fold increased risk of dying within 30 days.
“It is alarming that the incidence of heart attacks in young women is increasing,” says Galelnaby. “Risk factors specific to women include early menopause, endometriosis, and hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.”
gender difference
The analysis showed another difference between genders in how doctors use the sensitive troponin assay biomarker blood test to detect heart damage. Biomarker results may not rise in the same way in women as in men, giving doctors incorrect information.
“There’s nothing wrong with biomarkers,” says Galelnabi, who directs the Core Lab in the Faculty Equity and Resilience Office of Advancement and Center for Population Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. “There’s something wrong with the way guidelines for interpreting biomarkers are explained by gender. Female hormones may be influencing test results.”
The analysis shows that it’s not just a patient’s gender that influences cardiac outcomes. Differences also occur depending on the gender of the doctor. One study of patients treated at a Florida hospital found that when women were treated by a female doctor, their mortality rate decreased from 11.9% to 5.4% compared to the overall study population. The results were shown.
“The data show that women experience worse outcomes than men when it comes to cardiovascular disease, due to gender differences in symptoms, hospitalizations, diagnosis, and treatment,” Galelnaby says. “This is a preventable disease that can be improved through clinical research and increased awareness among the medical community and individuals. We know that the earlier it is treated, the better the chances of recovery and survival.”
