Women Face Higher Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease in women is under-diagnosed, under-treated and under-researched, a senior doctor warned today.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in men and women around the world, killing more people than all the cancers combined.

In the UK, coronary heart disease causes 114,000 deaths a year – with one-in-six occurring in women.

And across Europe cardiovascular disease kills a higher percentage of women than men – 55 per cent compared with 43 per cent.

Cardiologist Dr Ghada Mikhail said despite these statistics, heart disease was still considered “a disease of men”.

Dr Mikhail, from North West London Hospitals and St Mary’s Hospital NHS Trusts, said many women were unaware heart disease was their main killer, with their biggest fear being breast cancer.

“Even more worrying, however, is the apparent lack of awareness of cardiovascular disease in women among healthcare professionals,” she said in the British Medical Journal.

Dr Mikhail said when women first turned up with heart disease they tended to be ten years older than men, and 20 years older when they had their first heart attack.

“As coronary heart disease is a disease of the older woman, many women believe that they can postpone attempts to reduce their risk,” she added.

The cardiologist also pointed out that risk factors for heart disease differed between men and women. She concluded better awareness and education, earlier and more aggressive control of risk factors and appropriate access to diagnosis and treatment were needed to tackle the disease in women