The underlying causes, symptoms and outcomes of heart attacks differ between men and women considerably. To address these differences, the American Heart Association has published its first ever scientific statement on the topic in the journal Circulation.
According to the statement, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in U.S. women, but the last decade has seen a marked decline in the cardiovascular disease mortality rate in women. The decline is attributed to a number of factors, including an "increase in awareness, a greater focus on women and cardiovascular disease risk, and the increased application of evidence-based treatments for established coronary heart disease."
Highlighted below are five highlights from the statement:
1. Women tend to have less severe blockages than men
2. Women face greater complications from attempts to restore blood flow than men because their blood vessels tend to be smaller
3. Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain
4. High blood pressure and diabetes is more strongly associated with heart attacks in women than men
5. Black and Hispanic women are more likely to have more heart-related risk factors than non-Hispanic white women
Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare cardiology researcher Nanette Wenger, MD, was among a small group of co-authors on the statement. Dr. Wegner is a professor of medicine in Emory University's School of Medicine, and a former chief of cardiology at Grady Memorial Hospital.
"This state-of-the-art manuscript brings to light many critical issues for women and reminds us that although there have been improvements in cardiovascular deaths over the last decade, cardiovascular disease in women remains understudied, underdiagnosed and undertreated," said Dr. Wenger.