Study shows women more likely to die after a heart attack

A new study that was led by a Baylor College of Medicine cardiologist found woman do not receive what is known as timely treatment and what is necessary to prevent the death of the patient. The study found when a woman has a massive heart attack she is nearly twice as likely to die than a man will. Even when the fact that most women are older and sicker was factored in it was still found they are still 12 percent more likely to die. The lead author of the study, Dr. Hani Jneid, a Baylor professor of cardiovascular medicine, said, "I was surprised there is still so much of a difference. I would have expected the gap to have closed by now. We need to do better." Jneid wants future studies to find the causes for more deaths in female patients. It is not known if the higher incidences of deaths is completely do to under-treatment or if there are other reasons. Because heart disease is still seen by many as a man's disease many woman are not treated as aggressively as men. The new study was reported on Monday by the American Heart Association journal Circulation and it did show some improvement for women. A decade ago the studies showed that women were 40 percent more likely to die from heart attacks than men. When the numbers were adjusted for the older ages of the women and the risk factors it was 25 percent. The new study was to determine if the studies from the 1990s which identified the problem have helped to give women better care when they are having a heart attack. The study did determine that now both women and men have the same adjusted in-hospital death rate with the exception of the most severe type. This is when there is a complete blockage of a coronary artery. The studies were from medical records from 420 U.S. hospitals between 2001 and 2006. These hospitals are enrolled in a program that follows the latest guidelines for treating patients. The numbers could be worse because many U.S. hospitals are not enrolled in the program. It was found that women with a massive heart attack are twice as likely to die in the first 24 hours after being hospitalized. Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at UCLA and a study author said, "This is a clear call to action. Progress has been made, but there is still substantial opportunity to improve care and outcome." Women experience less heart pain than men and often do not have the same symptoms that men have. Many of the women in the study were eight years older than men when they had a heart attack. The women were 72 and the men 64. The women also mostly had other medical conditions such as diabetes, heart failure and high blood pressure. The classic symptoms for a heart attack are-- • Pain/tightness in middle of chest • Shooting pain/numbness in left arm • Nausea and vomiting The symptoms experienced more often by women • Pain in the back, neck or other areas • Shortness of breath • Upset stomach/indigestion • Anxiety