Women’s Health
of cases – when analysed according to gender, probable ACS was noted in 39% of women and 44.5% of men (p<0.001). The significantly lower suspicion of ACS in females was maintained regardless of the number of risk factors or the presence of typical chest pain. Dr. Martinez-Nadal said: “In the doctor’s first impression, women were more likely than men to be suspected of a nonischaemic problem. Risk factors like hypertension and smoking should instil a higher suspicion of possible ischaemia in patients with chest pain. But we observed that women with risk factors were still less likely than men to be classified as ‘probable ischaemia’.” In women, 5% of ACS were initially misdiagnosed, whereas in men, 3% of ACS were initially misdiagnosed (p<0.001). After multivariate analysis, female gender was an independent risk factor for an initial impression of non-ACS. Dr. Martinez-Nadal said: “Heart attack
has traditionally been considered a male disease, and has been understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated in women,
who may attribute symptoms to stress or anxiety. Both women and men with chest pain should seek medical help urgently.”
Pregnancy, stress, sleep issues, physiology among women’s unique cardiovascular concerns Women face many female-specific risks for heart disease and stroke, including pregnancy, physical and emotional stress, sleep patterns and many physiological factors, according to multiple studies highlighted in this year’s ‘Go Red for Women’ special issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, published online February 23. “Although cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in men and women, women are less likely to be diagnosed and receive preventive care and aggressive treatment compared to men,” said Journal of the American Heart Association Editorin-Chief Barry London, M.D., Ph.D., the Potter Lambert Chair in Internal Medicine, director of the division of cardiovascular medicine, director of the Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center, professor
36 I M I D D L E
E A S T
of cardiovascular medicine and professor of molecular physiology and biophysics at the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine. “Identifying and addressing the unique ways cardiovascular disease affects women is critical to improving outcomes and saving lives, and we’re pleased to highlight this very important and impactful research.” Of note in this issue is a report from the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. Launched in Spring 2016, this initiative funded five research centres to extensively study cardiovascular (CVD) risk in women: • Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City – Sleep & CVD Risk in Women Across the Lifespan
H E A L T H
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore – Role of Sex Hormones and Cyclic GMP-PKG in Cardiac and Metabolic Disorders in Patients with Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) • Magee-Women’s Research Institute and Foundation in Pittsburgh – Women’s Cardiovascular Health and Microvascular Mechanisms: Novel Insights from Pregnancy • New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City – The Women’s Heart Attack Research Program: Mechanisms of Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries (MINOCA), Platelet Activity and Stress • University of California at San Diego – Sedentary Behavior & CVD Risk in Latina Women
