Gender Bias In Coronary Health Care Is Costing Women’s Lives

Inequalities in the way women with heart attacks are cared for compared to men are
costing lives says the British Heart Foundation (BHF)

Research funded by the BHF and others has uncovered that at every stage - diagnosis, treatment and aftercare - women who have heart attacks receive poorer care than men.

Women are twice as likely to die of coronary heart disease, the main cause of heart attack, as breast cancer in the UK. Yet it is still not always seen as a woman’s problem. Make sure you know what could put you at risk and how to spot the signs of a heart attack.

The BHF have brought together evidence in a new briefing, 'Bias and Biology', which reveals the scale of the inequality. You can download the summary report by clicking on the pic. Go to the Unionsafety E-Library to download the full report.

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack in women

Heart attack symptoms can vary but the most common signs of a heart attack are:

* chest pain or discomfort in your chest that suddenly occurs and doesn't go away. It may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing

* the pain may spread to your left or right arm or may spread to your neck, jaw, back or stomach 

* you may also feel sick, sweaty, light-headed or short of breath.

Other less common symptoms include:

* a sudden feeling of anxiety that can feel similar to a panic attack

* excessive coughing or wheezing

Chest pain should never be ignored.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms dial 999 immediately. 

Learn more about heart attack symptoms by watching this video:

Source: BHF