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Every year, 435,000 American women have a heart attack. Almost 20% of them are under 65 years old. In fact, heart attacks kill six times more women than bad cancer.
However, research shows that women are not always evaluated and appropriately treated for their heart attack, especially compared to men
One study, for example, found that women were less likely to receive beta-blockers and other common medications and treatments to manage their heart attack or to undergo some standard procedures such as angiography.
"Women do not get the same care as men," says Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and a volunteer medical expert for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign.
"It may be because heart disease is not considered a female disease, but it's not true," she says. "Heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined."
Women can take concrete steps to improve their chances of getting the right treatment in a heart attack.
1. Defend yourself
A 2018 study published in traffic, According to the American Heart Association's newspaper, showing similar symptoms, 53% of women said that their doctor did not think their symptoms were related to the heart, compared to 37% of men.
"The most powerful thing a woman can say is," I think I have a heart attack, "Steinbaum said. "When she says that, it triggers a series of activities and thought processes within the team that is taking care of her. This simple statement can be a rescue measure. "O
2. You may not be sure that it's a heart attack – ask for any help anyway
Women wait 30% longer than men – about an extra half hour – before seeking treatment, on average, according to a August 2018 study published in Current Cardiology Reports.
"One of the reasons women are slow to seek treatment is that they are afraid to look ridiculous if their symptoms are not due to a heart attack," says Nieca Goldberg, Director. Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health of NYU Langone Medical. Center.
These slowdowns can snowball. Once arrived at the hospital, women wait 20% longer than men to receive care, according to the same study.
"When women ask for help, they have delays in care, from field ambulance to doctors who see women in the ER," says Steinbaum.
3. Be on the phone, not on the Internet
Women who think they have a heart attack often take an aspirin and consult their online services to check their symptoms. says Goldberg
"If you're thinking of taking aspirin because you may have a heart attack, dial 911 at the same time," says Goldberg.
4. Describe your symptoms, without interpreting them.
When did the symptoms begin? How long did they last? Were you at rest or asleep when you experienced them? How do they feel?
Do not overlook the symptoms, baduming they come from anxiety, stress, indigestion, or insomnia. One study found that 21% of women attributed their symptoms to stress or anxiety, compared to 12% of men.
5. Talk about your risk factors
Do not badume that your health care team has reviewed your records. Tell them if you have high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, diabetes, or have a family history of heart disease, says Goldberg.
If you have not been to the doctor for a while, she says, say that you do not know if you have risk factors because you have not been evaluated recently.
6. Talk about badist prejudices
Women are more likely to survive a heart attack if their doctor is a woman.
Goldberg would not go so far as to recommend a female doctor, but you can draw attention to the possibility of bad discrimination.
You can ask your doctor what would be the recommended treatment plan if a man presented your symptoms.
And ask about stents and bypbades. These rescue procedures are more often recommended to men than to women.
"I tell all the women they need to have a relationship with a doctor," says Steinbaum. "They need to feel heard and understood. It does not matter if it's a man or a woman, but it has to be someone who really understands and understands them. If they do not feel heard or taken seriously, they should consult another doctor. "
7. Watch for symptoms
More than 85% of women and men with heart attacks notice chest pain, pressure, contraction or discomfort. But women are more likely to have at least three other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea, or abdominal, shoulder, jaw, or neck pain.
"Women may be more difficult to diagnose because their symptoms are so esoteric," says Steinbaum.
8. Do not think you're too young
"Age is not something that presides in or out of a heart attack," Goldberg says.
Assuming you are too young to have one, you could avoid the care you need to survive. A large study of more than 28,000 people hospitalized for a heart attack included men and women from the age of 35.
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