Women are more likely to die after heart attack than men, suggests new study

A new study has found that women are twice as likely to die after a heart attack compared to men. According to researchers, the results of the study highlight the need for more awareness of heart diseases and heart attacks in women.

The study was presented at the Heart Failure 2023 Congress.

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What are the symptoms of heart attack in women?

Symptoms of heart attack in women include sweating and lightheadedness. (Photo via Pexels/Marcus Aurelius)

While the signs and symptoms of an attack in women are the same as in men, some of the symptoms are more common in women. These include:

• chest pain and discomfort
• severe pain in the jaw, back, neck and arms
• shortness of breath
• lightheadedness
• fatigue
• sweating
• nausea

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Heart attack in men vs women: What is the new study all about?

Age and other health conditions can be responsible. (Photo via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

Researchers included 884 patients with an average of 60 to 62 years of age, for the study. About a quarter of the patients were women with an average of 67 at the start of the study, while the remaining were men with an average of 60.

The women had diabetes, high blood pressure and other common heart conditions and also had a prior stroke. The men,meanwhile, had coronary artery disease and were also smokers.

After evaluating the data, researchers found that approximately 11.8% of women patients died just 30 days after the treatment compared to only 4.6% of men. However, 32.1% of women died after five years compared to 16.9% of men.

Researchers also noted that 34.2% of women experienced MACE (major adverse cardiac event) compared to 19.8% of men. Overall, the result showed that women are 2.8 times more likely to die within 30 days of a heart attack.

Researchers of the study said that they were not quite sure about the reason responsible for this gender effect. However, they reckon factors like age and increased number of other health conditions could be attributable.

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Common heart conditions in women

The following are some of the most common heart conditions in women:

Coronary artery disease: It's one of the leading causes of death among women. Women who have menopause are at a greater risk of coronary artery disease because of hormonal changes.

Heart failure: Heart failure occurs when the heart is too weak to pump blood and regulate other organs.

Arrhythmia: In this condition, the heart beats either too fast or slow, or in an irregular way.

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Mortality rate of heart attacks

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 40 seconds, an American suffers an attack, making it one of the leading causes of death for both men and women. It's estimated that every year 805,000 Americans suffer a heart attack, and among them, approximately 605,000 have attacks for the first time.

In 2021, 310,661 women in the United States died of heart attacks. It's estimated that heart diseases, particularly attacks and strokes are responsible for one in every five female deaths in the U.S.

Knowing about the signs and symptoms as well as risk factors can significantly help people take measures to protect themselves from heart attacks, strokes and other related conditions. It's important to seek proper treatment as soon as you notice any signs of heart problems.

Study author Dr Mariana Martinho said:

"Women of all ages who experience a myocardial infarction are at higher risk of a poor prognosis”.

According to the study author, these women need monitoring after their heart event along with strict control of cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes. They also need a referral to cardiac rehabilitation.