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Women are discriminated against when it comes to the management and treatment of their heart diseases. And this, despite half the 17.3 million deaths from heart diseases, every year, being women.
Putting a spotlight on the issue, a group of experts at the ongoing World Heart Federation’s World Congress of Cardiology (WCC) in Australia, called for tailor-made women-centric treatment, including better research, to bridge the gap.
Women are more likely than men to be under-diagnosed and under-treated, largely because the presentation, progression and outcomes of the disease are different and less understood in women than in men.
Despite the progress in raising awareness about CVD (cardio-vascular diseases) in women and studying the specifics of the disease, as well as in adapting CVD treatment and care for women, the gap is still too wide, a note from the World Health Federation said.
In fact, new research on women’s heart health, along with work being done in several countries to improve the recognition, prevention and treatment of CVD, among other things, was presented at the WCC on “Wear Red Day”.
The World Heart Federation runs an annual “Go Red for Women” campaign to improve women’s knowledge of heart disease and stroke so that they can take action and achieve longer, better heart-healthy lives. “Go Red for Women “was created by the American Heart Association for this purpose and it is run globally by over 50 member organizations of the World Heart Federation.
Less likely intervention
A study involving 2,000 Australian women found that young women aged 35-59 years experiencing acute coronary syndromes were less likely than men to undergo coronary interventions. The study was presented by Linda Worrall-Carter, Director of{+ }St Vincent’s Centre for Nursing Research and The Cardiovascular Research Centre at the WCC.
“We need to ensure that all health professionals understand gender differences when it comes to cardiovascular disease. Awareness regarding atypical symptom presentations of women and understanding healthcare workers perceptions are key to ensure women are getting the most appropriate and timely treatment, no matter their age or background,” the note said quoting Worrall-Carter.
Women themselves also need to be better informed. CVD is the number one killer of women, but the risk of dying or becoming seriously harmed due to heart disease and stroke is still largely underestimated by the majority of women, who do not perceive CVD as one of their major health concerns.
Australia example
In 2007, Australia’s National Heart Foundation acknowledged the problem of under-recognition, under research and under treatment of heart disease amongst women and decided that it was time to take action.
By spending the last seven years collating data on heart disease in women and developing an awareness campaign, the Heart Foundation has been able to take a number of positive actions with a wide range of stakeholders, the note said.
Learnings from the US
In Chicago and Los Angeles, in-clinic research has looked at the way women seek CVD treatment and how collaborations with colleagues treating other female-specific disease can improve care of CVD for women.
Heart damage related to chemotherapy and premature heart disease is a problem for breast cancer survivors. Researchers at the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center (BSWHC) at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute are calling for the introduction of cardio-oncology clinics, to support cancer survivors in implementing lifestyle changes and preventive measures for heart disease.
The research team has established a multidisciplinary program including cardiologists, breast cancer surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, as well as colleagues from cardiac imaging and rehabilitation medicine. According to Puja K. Mehta, “Out of nearly 900 women we saw at the BSWHC over a seven month period, a significant number of cancer survivors also had cardiac problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes or coronary artery disease. Programs and strategies to identify cardiac risk factors in cancer survivors are needed and represent an excellent preventive opportunity.”
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