Study finds women are more likely to die after a heart attack than men

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men and women worldwide. A new study suggests that women may be more than twice as likely to suffer adverse outcomes such as death after a heart attack compared to men of the same age.

Study author Dr. Mariana Martinho, a cardiologist at García de Hospital, said the Portuguese researchers found that women hospitalized with heart attacks were more likely to have short- and long-term mortality, as well as future heart disease, than men. They announced that they found an increased risk of vascular events. Orta from Almada, Portugal told TODAY.com.

It was discovered that Presented at Heart Failure 2023, Scientific Congress of the European Society of Cardiology. “We are currently writing a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal,” says Martinho.

According to Martinho, the data highlights the need to raise awareness of the consequences of heart attacks in women. “Women of all ages who have had a myocardial infarction are at particularly high risk for a poor prognosis,” added Martinho.

A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, occurs when blood flow to the heart is reduced or stopped. The main cause is coronary artery disease, a type of common heart disease. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This retrospective observational study included 884 patients hospitalized for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) between 2010 and 2015. STEMI is a type of heart attack that occurs when one of the major arteries that supply blood to the heart is completely blocked. This is a more serious type of heart attack and carries a higher risk of complications and death. Around of Cleveland Clinic.

All patients in the study were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention, Martinho said. This is a procedure in which a tube or stent is used to open an artery to restore blood flow to the heart.

Data show women are twice as likely to die after a heart attack than men

The researchers looked at long-term and short-term outcomes, including 30-day and 5-year mortality, adverse cardiovascular events within 5 years, premenopausal (<55 years) and postmenopausal (<55 years) I investigated the difference between both. and older females) comparison of males and females.

After adjustment, Risk factor Martinho and her colleagues found significant differences in other health conditions. According to the study authors, 11.8% of women (4.6% of men) died after 30 days, and nearly a third of women (32.1%) died after 5 years, and 16.9% of men.

The researchers also found that 34% of women experienced a major adverse cardiovascular event within five years after a heart attack, compared with 19.8% of men.

“After adjusting for other conditions, and despite having undergone (percutaneous coronary intervention) within the same time period as men, women were more likely to have adverse outcomes than men in the short and long term. was two to three times higher,” Martinho said in the paper. Press release of the European Cardiovascular Society.

The researchers conducted another analysis focusing on patients with risk factors such as: Heart disease, such as diabetes and hypertension. They compared results in men and women under 55 and women over 55 with the same type of risk factor.

Based on this analysis of 435 people, “postmenopausal women had worse short-term and long-term outcomes after myocardial infarction than age-matched men,” Martinho said.

She added that premenopausal women (under age 55) have similar short-term mortality rates to age-matched men, but have a worse long-term prognosis. At 5 years, 20% of women had experienced a serious adverse cardiovascular event, compared with 5.8% of men.

The researchers also found that women under the age of 55 were “significantly delayed in treatment after arriving at the hospital” (95 vs. 80 minutes) compared to men.

Experts say the results of the study contribute to a growing body of evidence for discrepancies in heart disease awareness and treatment among women.

“It’s clear that this is a problem. …Studies show that women tend to have worse outcomes,” said associate professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and director of the Women’s Heart Center. Co-Director Dr Sonia Trani told TODAY.com. new research.

Although heart disease has historically been perceived as a “man’s problem,” it is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to the CDC.

Although this study did not investigate the reasons for the differences in adverse outcomes in men and women after heart attack, there are several potential contributing factors.

“Women typically have[cardiovascular events]later in life and have more comorbidities[such as diabetes and hypertension]which are two possible explanations for their poor prognosis,” says Martinho. says the professor. Another possible factor is that women are more likely to have atypical heart attack symptoms.

heart attack symptoms in women

A heart attack isn’t necessarily the heart-wrenching, dramatic portrayal and feeling you see on TV or in the movies.nevertheless chest pain According to Mr Torani, both male and female patients had “one complaint”, and women are more likely to experience symptoms other than chest pain, such as:

• difficulty breathing
• nausea or vomiting
• dizzy
• pain in one or both arms
• back, neck and abdominal pain

“It’s important to recognize these other symptoms as potential acute (heart attack) symptoms, especially if they appear suddenly and don’t go away with rest,” Martinho said. But it may still take time for women to do so or seek medical help, she added.

“There is also a cultural notion that women are always the ones to look after others. It’s expensive,” Trani says.

If a woman complains of traditional chest pain or seeks immediate medical attention, she may not get it right away. “Some studies suggest that doctors take longer to diagnose and treat myocardial infarction[in women],” Marinzo said.

misunderstanding about heart disease in women TODAY.com previously reported that it exists in ordinary people and doctors alike.

“The truth is that many women present with typical symptoms and are delayed in treatment. I don’t think so,” Trani said.

Time from symptom onset to first ECG. This allows for diagnostics. heart attack If not, another heart condition is in serious condition, Trani said. “If someone has a (STEMI) heart attack, the biggest impact is how quickly that artery opens,” Trani said, even if he’s just 15 minutes or he’s 20 minutes late. If so, it could make a difference in treatment, he added. myocardial recovery.

All of these factors combine to cause women to be more ill upon arrival at the hospital and may not be treated as quickly as men, ultimately leading to heart failure and death. Dr. Martinho added that it could lead to an increase in rates.

“There are two main areas where we can intervene,” says Martinho. The first is to promote awareness of potential heart attack symptoms in women, and the second is to encourage health care providers to treat patients as soon as possible and follow rigorous cardiovascular risk management and rehabilitation. It’s about being able to upgrade, she says.

“80% of heart disease can be prevented by paying attention to risk factors such as smoking cessation, regular exercise, controlling cholesterol and blood pressure,” explains Dr. Torani.

Additionally, the prevalence of heart disease among young women between the ages of 35 and 55 is rising, she said.

“The findings of this study serve as another reminder that we need to be more aware of the risk of heart disease in women,” said Prof. Martinho, who is seeking to understand why men and women differ in prognosis after a heart attack. Further research is needed and the following steps can be taken, he added. Reduce the difference in results.