SOURCE: Medical News Today
DATE: May 7, 2009
EXCERPT: "Age, condition and treatment delay are among the reasons women who undergo angioplasty for heart attack often do not fare as well as do men, according to two studies ... which are among the first to document outcomes in female patients treated with angioplasty and stenting for a heart attack, may help close the outcome gap between women and men.
The studies found, when compared with their male counterparts, women undergoing angioplasty for heart attack are often older (by an average of nine years), in poorer condition (such as suffering from diabetes) and have a longer onset due to delayed recognition of symptoms by both patients and their caregivers. In addition, women are less likely to develop brisk blood flow through the treated artery after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). As a result, women face twice the likelihood of procedural failure and an increased risk of death, according to the studies.
The studies show many people do not understand that female heart attack patients often present differently than men. Although women, like men, can experience chest pain or discomfort during a heart attack, women are somewhat more likely to have other symptoms instead, such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain." more
RELATED PUBMED LINK:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
Studies presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions.
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