Women’s Health Serious Heart Attack Risks

We know that many of our clients suffer from heart conditions; therefore, we thought it worth sharing this study. Of course, if you have any medical questions or concerns, it is important to consult directly with a healthcare professional.

At the beginning of February, the American Heart Association (AHA) released its first, scientific report on heart attacks (known as myocardial infarctions) and women, assessing several gender-specific risks that women face when it comes to their overall heart health.

The AHA revealed that heart attacks affect men and women in different ways, from their clinical presentation to their risks and more. For example, when a woman suffers from a myocardial infarction, its clinical presentation is different than when a man experiences one. Consequently, there can be a delay in treatment for women who are having a heart attack, perhaps because the distinct presentation of a myocardial infarction for a woman is not yet considered independently enough.

After a heart attack, women and men alike are often treated with perfusion therapy, a method that entails the use of pumps, which allow for blood to move freely throughout the body’s tissue. For women, however, the risks of bleeding, in addition to other medical complications, is much higher than for men. Another problem specific to women is the minimal prescription of cardiovascular rehabilitation, a treatment that aims to improve overall heart health through education, exercise and a change in eating habits, all while under the direct care and instruction of a medical professional. The AHA’s statement highlights that a woman’s chance of having another myocardial infarction, greater risk of serious health consequences and even death goes up in the 12 months following a heart attack due to a lack of guidance-based instructions that are given. Similarly, the knowledge and heart health practices of women did not appear to coincide with these findings, proving that it is extremely important to understand the way a heart attack affects women and men respectively, so that prevention and treatment methods are used as they are needed for each, individual case.

The American Heart Association mentioned in its report that although there were many suboptimal areas of practice, prevention and treatment that new approaches are being studied and used, and that the future for treating women who suffer from myocardial infarctions shows promise. To read the AHA’s statement, click here.

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