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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Thousands of women are dying "needlessly" from a heart attack because they receive poorer health care than men, according to a new study.
The study found that many people, doctors and patients, assumed that heart disease was a male problem, while women were more likely to have symptoms of heart attack or less severe forms of illness such as indigestion or muscle aches, and were slow to seek help.
Even when they arrive at the hospital, doctors do not diagnose the problem, which means that women are less likely to have a heart attack early.
This in itself can be fatal because every minute of delay in treatment reduces the chances of survival.
"There is always a misunderstanding that men have heart attacks without women," said Chris Gill, a consultant in heart disease at the University of Leeds, who oversees the study. "If you miss the opportunity of a treatment, this could have a detrimental effect later on."
The study found that even when a heart attack was diagnosed, women were less likely to undergo life-saving tests and interventions, as well as not having access to essential drugs or treatment programs. rehabilitation.
Professor Gill's team found that women were twice as likely to die within 12 months of a heart attack, but that they would survive if they received the same treatment as men.
The study followed 690,000 people treated at the British Health Services Hospital after a heart attack between 2003 and 2013.
The team analyzed 13 aspects of each patient's treatment, including investigations, medications and rehabilitation recommended by international guidelines after a heart attack. Remarkably, men were more likely to receive medical treatment more quickly.
The study found that women were 34% less likely to undergo angiography within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms.
If heart failure is diagnosed, the procedure for removing the clot is used only after 46 minutes, compared to 44 minutes for men.
"The two-minute delay may not be important, but the two minutes can make a big difference when we talk about recovery from a heart attack," said Professor Gill.
Source: Daily Mail
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