Thousands of women are dying from heart disease worldwide because of the misconception that it is a “man’s disease”, doctors and scientists say. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the “number one killer” of women but, despite significant progress in its medical management, many were dying “unnecessarily” because they were underdiagnosed, undertreated and under-represented in clinical trials, the experts said. A consensus statement drawn up by 33 leading health figures affiliated with the British Cardiovascular Society aimed to address unmet needs, ensuring parity of care and improving the health outcomes of women with CVD in the UK and worldwide.
Among other things, it called for dedicated women’s heart champions and heart hubs to prevent the “needless death toll” from an essentially preventable disease. Conventional risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, were often not treated as promptly or as appropriately as they were in men, despite accounting for about half of all preventable cardiovascular disease deaths, the statement said. Women also faced particular cultural, societal, and financial issues, which magnified their heart disease risks.
In addition, their biology, physiology and body shape not only affected their risk of CVD but also the effectiveness of diagnostic procedures and treatment, it added. Healthcare professionals and the public mistakenly believed that women’s risk of CVD was lower than men’s, the statement said.