A recent study presented at the ‘Heart Failure 2023 Conference’ by the European Society of Cardiology has revealed a startling statistic: women are more than twice as likely to die following a heart attack compared to men. The study examined 884 patients with an average age of 62, with just over a quarter of participants being women.
The findings showed that 11.8 percent of women died within 30 days after a heart attack, compared to only 4.6 percent of men.
Additionally, nearly a third of women studied had died within five years of a heart attack, while the percentage for men was 19.8 percent.
The researchers discovered that women under 55 waited an average of 95 minutes in the hospital for treatment, while men of the same age received treatment after 80 minutes.
After five years, 32.1 percent of women had died, compared to 16.9 percent of men. Moreover, 34.2 percent of women experienced a major adverse cardiac event (MACE), such as all-cause death, re-infarction, hospitalizations for heart failure, and stroke, compared to 19.8 percent of men.
Although the study did not explore the reasons behind these gender disparities, it is suggested that atypical symptoms experienced by women during a heart attack, such as indigestion or shoulder pain, might delay diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
Dr. Danine Fruge, Medical Director of Pritikin Longevity Center, highlighted the importance of early treatment for heart attacks. It was also noted that differences in artery size between men and women could contribute to poorer outcomes for women.
While cardiologist Dr. Henry Okocha acknowledged that men are more susceptible to heart attacks, he emphasized that women experiencing menopause are at a higher risk of mortality due to their lower level of estrogen.
These findings shed light on the need for improved awareness, early detection, and tailored treatments to address the gender disparities in heart attack outcomes.
