IF you think of heart disease, you probably imagine an overweight middle-aged bloke clinging to his chest.
That’s the standard image shown on TV, after all.
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But cardiovascular disease (CVD), a broad term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, is the leading cause of death in women.
British heart experts have now warned women in the UK are dying “unnecessarily” from heart disease because of the misconception that it is a “man’s disease”.
Writing in the journal Heart, they said: “Globally, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women.
“However, the misconception that it is a ‘man’s disease’ underlines that CVD in women has contributed to its under-recognition and undertreatment.”
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Over 3.6million women in the UK are currently affected by ischaemic heart disease, which kills one in 14 women.
But they said there is a “discrepancy” between men and women when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.
Women are less likely to receive certain treatments or diagnostic tests.
And women are “frequently under-referred for treatment which leads to poorer outcomes,” they added.
The group also highlights that women are “under-represented” in clinical research about cardiovascular disease.
“Many treatments are mainly investigated in men and then applied to women,” according to the new consensus statement written by 33 experts from across the UK affiliated with the British Cardiovascular Society.
The authors add: “Despite significant progress in the management of CVD, it remains the UK’s number one killer for women.
“Unfortunately, women are underdiagnosed, undertreated and under-represented in all CVD areas.”
‘People assume it’s a man’s disease’
Lead author, professor of interventional cardiology, Vijay Kunadian, said: “Heart disease, in particular coronary artery disease, is the number one killer for women in the UK and worldwide.
“And yet, even to this day, we see that their symptoms are being ignored or (women are) told there is nothing wrong with them, or treated for something else, when all along they might be suffering from a heart problem.”
She said national databases are showing “year after year” that women are being undertreated and “unfortunately that leads to higher death rates following heart attacks.
“We can’t ignore that any more, it is about time that we do something about it”.
Lives were being lost because “if women received the correct treatment, then their lives could be saved”, Prof Kunadian, Newcastle University said.
“People assume it is a men’s disease – when a man complains he is more likely to get the attention from the ambulance or the doctors for example
“So we need to change the perspective of people and make people think this is also a woman’s condition.”
Women vs. men heart attack symptoms
The signs of a heart attack are different for women.
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort.
However women may experience other symptoms that are typically less associated with heart attack, such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Women are also more likely to ignore their symptoms.
Don’t wait to get help if you experience any of these heart attack warning signs.
Although some heart attacks are sudden and intense, most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort.
Pay attention to your body — and call 999.
Source: American Heart Association (AHA)
‘Prioritise women’s health’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “In the broken NHS we inherited it is clear women’s health has been neglected.
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“This government will prioritise women’s health as we reform the NHS and ensure their voices are heard.
“Cardiovascular disease is one of this country’s biggest killers of women and men, which is why this government will deliver up to 130,000 extra health checks at workplaces across the country to catch this and other diseases earlier.”
