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women face higher health risks than men after first heart attack
women who had a first, severe heart attack were 20 per cent more likely to die or experience heart failure within five years.
nov 30 2020
2 minute read
a data analysis revealed a gap in health outcomes for men and women who had heart attacks.
getty
women who have had their first serious heart attack face greater health risks than men in the immediate years after, according to a new study.
the research, which involved tens of thousands of canadians, was published in the american heart association’s journal circulation and found that women who had a first severe heart attack were 20 per cent more likely to die or experience heart failure within five years.
researchers looked into the patient data of 45,000 albertans hospitalized for a heart attack between 2002 and 2016. they focused on a severe, life-threatening heart attack called st-segment elevation myocardial infarction (stemi), and a less severe type called non-stemi or nstemi.
women tended to be older at the age of their first heart attack, by an average of about 10 years, with women experiencing a heart attack at the average of 72 compared to men at 61.
they also faced complications and further risk factors, such as histories of high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, that may have put them at a greater risk, a news release about the study says.
“identifying when and how women may be at higher risk for heart failure after a heart attack can help providers develop more effective approaches for prevention,” says lead study author justin ezekowitz, a cardiologist and co-director of the canadian vigour centre (cvc) , a research centre focused on cardiovascular health at the university of alberta.
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the research also found that women were less likely to be seen in hospital by a cardiovascular specialist: 72.8 per cent saw a specialist versus 84 per cent of men. and regardless of whether women had the more severe stemi heart attack or a non-stemi hear attack, fewer women were prescribed beta blockers or cholesterol-lowering drugs.
“close enough is not good enough,” says padma kaul, one of the study authors and cvc co-director. “there are gaps across diagnosis, access, quality of care and follow-up for all patients, so we need to be vigilant, pay attention to our own biases and to those most vulnerable to ensure that we have done everything possible in providing the best treatment.”
while the u.s. and europe have established guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in women, canada hasn’t. medical experts have sounded the alarm , saying there is a “a stunning lack of research and awareness” into the disparities between men and women’s heart health and treatment.
according to the heart and stroke foundation, heart disease and stroke kill 31,000 women in canada annually, making it the top cause of premature death for women in the country. a 2020 report from the foundation notes that “at every stage — from diagnosis to treatment to recovery — women fare worse than men. their symptoms often go unrecognized. some treatments are less effective in women. and women take longer to get better and face higher rates of recurrence.”
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if you or someone you care about is living with heart disease, connecting with a support network can help to not only learn ways to better manage their health, but also share experiences with others. some canadian resources include the canadian vigour centre, heart and stroke foundation and in the u.s., the american heart association/american stroke association.
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