Revised heart attack definitions which affect women

I think there are quite a few - I knew about the heart attack difference, but there are other conditions which present very differently in women than men. This is exactly why it is so important, especially in a medical sense, that people are treated based on their biological sex, and not what gender they choose to identify as.

I have just AI'd it and it seems that there have had to be lots of changes in diagnostic practice in lots of tests and conditions as they were failing to recognise sex differences. These have included anaemia, kidney function, osteoporosis... a long list.

The prime example is heart disease which has long been based on the classic "man clutches chest and falls over" model. It is good that things are changing, but very strange that people ever thought that diagnostic criteria should not look at possible sex differences.

Most medical training is based upon men, not women, therefore women are at a disadvantage. Women can also be treated differently to men when presenting at the GP and at A&E, their complaints are more often dismissed, with medical practitioners citing periods/periomenopause/or post menopause causing or exacerbating symptoms. This was the findings of Sussex University in a very interesting lecture about medical ethics I attended once, and from my own experience I can relate to this.

It's not great is it?
I have often observed from when I was working in the health service that women's problems are more likely to be diagnosed (?dismissed) as having a psychological cause than with men. It is difficult to know how true this is.

Studies have often focused on men, especially because they don't have the hormonal changes that can influence results (which you'd think would be worth extra study in itself!).

When I read the symptoms in women I always think I'd never know I was having a heart attack. I often have those kinds of symptoms and always have.

I did once go to emergency with chest pain. They put it down to indigestion (it wasn't) and I later learned that another condition I have can cause chest pain, strangely. So it makes sense now.

Luckygirl3

It's not great is it?
I have often observed from when I was working in the health service that women's problems are more likely to be diagnosed (?dismissed) as having a psychological cause than with men. It is difficult to know how true this is.

I think that is often very much the case. I know I have often had very real health concerns dismissed over the years - being put down to age, weight or just 'women's troubles', and from talking to friends, I'm by no means alone in that. Even when my husband and I were in a car accident, he was the one taken into A&E in a wheelchair, while I was the one with a broken collarbone!

I so pleased this has come about, it needs to be out there on banners.
I have worked in Cardiology all my career and it was know that symptoms where different but now wide spread information needs to be shouted out on social media, magazines, papers everywhere.

I have seen Women patients in the Cath Labs who could have been treated earlier if they were aware of what was going on with their body. It wasn't just "Women's" pains and shrugged it off but serious.

Also men are taken more seriously because of the ‘male reluctance’ story, where men supposedly never go to report health problems so must be ill if they then turn up. This is not by any means borne out by medical research, and as a woman I can safely say that women usually put their own health on hold because of being the main caregiver for the family, and will chivvy their men along to go and see about health probs.

Visgir1

I so pleased this has come about, it needs to be out there on banners.
I have worked in Cardiology all my career and it was know that symptoms where different but now wide spread information needs to be shouted out on social media, magazines, papers everywhere.

I have seen Women patients in the Cath Labs who could have been treated earlier if they were aware of what was going on with their body. It wasn't just "Women's" pains and shrugged it off but serious.

I made a complaint to the hospital which had failed to make the proper diagnosis. To be fair to them they recognised their failure and took it very seriously - they put in new training (using my case as an example) and instituted new protocols around cardiac assessment.

So - hats off to them. But it should not have been necessary!

My partner had a heart attack 30 months ago, there was no clutching or keeling over, he just lost all colour in his face, lips were blue and he felt tired and was having an early night, not liking the look of him I called 111, within an hour he was in hospital having been diagnosed with a heart attack, this was followed two weeks later by a triple bypass and valve replacement, so it’s always wise to get advice on symptoms.

Our son rang on Monday his dear friend had died in his sleep due to his heart. Age 50. He’d had a heart attack ten months ago just went back to work last week and now he’s gone. I think we should all be careful as to any signs we’re not right.

I was misdiagnosed with a heart attack because the pain was on my right arm and not my left. I was told all was fine and nothing to stop me going on holiday to Spain the next week. I then had the same symptoms and went to the hospital in Benidorm and was quickly diagnosed with a heart attack. I had to have 2 stents. Thank goodness I always had travel insurance. I had another a few years later and my daughter had to argue with the hospital staff who again said it wasn't a heart attack because the pain was on the wrong side. I never got much chest pain either. I again had to have another stent. I don't understand why the insisting it was not serious is just can put it down to junior drs following text book diagnosis.

IMO many females are medically mysogynyised .. case studies show that..and on BBC 1 earlier today, had an example of a woman who just knew something wasn’t right going on, booked a private GP APPT and was told to go to A&E …VERY ALARMING..

Luckily for me (mid sixties) I had only been reading on social media the previous day that women’s heart attack symptoms can vary from men’s. Sudden chest pain (not unlike heart burn) which then moved to both sides of my ribs. I still wasn’t convinced it was serious but called 999 and after an ECG was admitted and a moderate attack confirmed. Six months on have made a full recovery and had the most excellent and prompt care from our local fantastic teaching hospital. Trust your instinct if something doesn’t feel right!

It should also be noted that "usual and customary medication dosages" have been developed based on men. Females may need different dosage schedules and amounts.

One of the worst aspects is in medication. Medicines are tested on men, predominantly. Thé calculations are made on men’s physiology ( bigger, more muscular, bone density etc). Our meds may be way too strong for us!

I had no pain.
Nausea and then felt couldn't breath after which I remember nothing.
Luckly my husbsnd realised did cpr via 999 until ambulance arrived to take over
He saved my life.
At the hospital I was told I had suffered heart attack and had Covid . (2022)
My hospital stay was 10 days .
I was well taken care of (no visitors allowed).
After numerous tests, I was told that I had no lasting damage and no futher treatment other than asprin and rehab
My heart attack was probably a result of Covid.
My diagnosis was Minoca heart attack , apparently more common in women.

I remember the sad case of a friend’s wife whose heart problems were misdiagnosed as indigestion. She died suddenly at home and was only found when she failed to pick up her child from nursery.
I think it is more recognised now that heart attacks in women can present as pain between the shoulder blades.

I have no personal experiences to add here but am so shocked by all this. Also angered that medical training and practice appears to almost ignore the presence of half the population.

That’s all very scary!

I remember when my daughter was on a postnatal ward as an outpatient, I accompanied her on this occasion to look after the newly born tot. In the next cubicle a woman was getting outraged by the fact that a piece of gauze had been discovered in her birth canal a month after the birth and most importantly that she had complained many times about pain and a discharge but been fobbed off by doctors saying it was normal after giving birth.
She could have got toxic shock.
Why don’t enough doctors listen to women??

My late mother had a heart attack back in 2009. She had called me said she really felt tired and sickly. No pain really I remember at hospital in A and E she kept weirdly burping and felt sick. She looked pale. Sadly there was no rush to see her - it was seen as indigestion. She died 9 months later of heart failure. It was very sad.

About 40 years ago, I went to see my GP because I had really bad haematuria. The GP (male) told me not to worry my pretty little head as it was just my period. I did eventually have it properly investigated and it turned out that I was passing kidney stones. It seems little has changed.

Perhaps I should add that I was very well aware that it was not just my period.