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2 September 2005
Heart Disease Under-Diagnosed In Women 
While cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in men and women worldwide, it appears that women are not fully aware of the risks surrounding coronary heart problems. Statistics from European countries show that cardiovascular disease kills a higher percentage of women, yet it is usually considered a disease affecting men. The figures quoted in an article in the British Medical Journal show that cardiovascular disease kills 10 percent more women than men. Deaths from cardiovascular disease see women accounting for 55 percent and men 43 percent. The article said that coronary heart disease is under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-researched in women. "Many women are unaware that coronary heart disease is their main killer; their biggest fear is breast cancer," said cardiologist Ghada Mikhail. But even more worrying is the apparent lack of awareness of cardiovascular disease in women among healthcare professionals. It may be because women and men with heart disease tend to differ in their symptoms, their access to investigations and treatment, and their overall prognosis, suggests Mikhail. She cites the example that women may have less common symptoms, are less likely to seek medical help, and tend to visit their physician later in the progress of their disease. Mikhail suggested that women are also less likely to have appropriate investigations, which can delay the start of effective treatment. Another problem is that women continue to be under-represented in research on heart disease, making it difficult to draw conclusive evidence on managing cardiovascular disease. To remedy this, the Mikhail suggests that study participants' sex must be considered in the design and analysis of cardiology studies. Better awareness and education, earlier and more aggressive control of risk factors, and appropriate access to diagnosis and treatment are desperately needed to tackle this potentially fatal disease, she said in conclusion.
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