Heart Attack In Women

(NC)-Is a heart attack the same for him as it is for her? Many people believe there's a gender gap when it comes to heart attacks, with women experiencing slightly different symptoms than men, and responding to these differently.

But according to a Canadian heart researcher this commonly held belief has gotten ahead of the evidence. And it could be taking attention away from the critical heart attack survival message for both sexes: call 000 (Australia), or get to a hospital, as soon as possible.

"The claims of a heart attack gender gap have gone well beyond the science," says Dr. Pamela Ratner, a professor of nursing at the University of British Columbia.

The traditional image of the potential heart attack victim is that of a middle-aged, overweight, cigarette-smoking man. But, the fact is, heart disease doesn't discriminate. In North America it's the leading cause of death for both men and women. Heart health educators have worked to make women equally aware of their risks. Ratner says, during this process, medical myths have arisen.
 

For example, she points to a recent women's magazine article cautioning readers that men and women have different heart attack symptoms. With heart attacks, the article asserts, women tend to experience less, if any, chest pain.

"Maybe," says Ratner. "But really we just don't know." She says that for both the majority of men and women chest pain or discomfort is the key symptom of heart attack.

To sort out heart attack fact from fiction, Ratner is leading several studies looking at gender differences in how heart attack sufferers experience and respond to their symptoms. The studies are funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

 

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