Atlanta: Women who suffer a heart attack are
twice as likely as men to die within the following month
because they receive different medical treatment than men,
researchers have said.
The study examined 3,000 women and men hospitalised in the
French region of Franche-Comte after a cardiac event between
2006 and 2007, and examined the treatment they received.
It found women were less likely to receive either an
angiogram - an imaging technique that allows examination of
the blood vessels - or an angioplasty, where a coronary artery
is dilated, and often a small stent is inserted to keep the
artery open.
The lead author of the study yesterday said its findings
showed women should be given the more aggressive treatments
often reserved for male patients.
"This suggests that we could reduce mortality in female
patients by using more invasive procedures," said Francois
Schiele, head of cardiology at the Besancon university
hospital, speaking on the sidelines of an annual conference of
the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta.
"When there are no clear contradictions, women should be
treated with all recommended strategies, including invasive
strategies," he added.
"The main question we tried to answer with this study was
whether the difference in mortality between women and men
after a heart attack is explained by differences in
management," Schiele said.
PTI