Bad News For Women With Heart Problems

A study by the Duke University School of Medicine, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, demonstrates that hospitals do not offer the same level of treatment to women with heart problems that they routinely offer to men with the same problems. As a woman who has had a heart attack, this information is terrifying to me. The disparity crosses all levels of treatment and begins immediately upon arrival at a hospital.

For example, women are:

• 2 to 3 times less likely to receive defibrillators, which help regulate heart rhythm;
• 16 percent less likely, even in the midst of a heart attack, to be treated by a cardiologist, being seen by an internist or family physician instead;
• 15 to 30 percent less likely to get an angiogram, which helps physicians determine proper treatment;
• 12 percent less likely to receive clot-busting drugs;
• 10 to 15 percent less likely to be given medication to help prevent a second heart attack.

Given these statistics, it's critical that women learn how to maximize the chances that they will receive the care they need and deserve.

There is, however, one area in cardiology where women have a definitive lead over men - more women die from heart attacks, each year.

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God Bless!

Jules