Same Symptoms, Different Care for Women and Men With Heart Disease

Contact: Sarah AveryPhone: 919-660-1306Email: [e-mail]://www.dukehealth.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on Wednesday, March 23, 2016

DURHAM, N.C. -- Despite messages to the contrary, most women being seen by a doctor for the first time with suspected heart disease actually experience the same classic symptoms as men, notably chest pain and shortness of breath, according to a study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
But other differences between the sexes are evident in the diagnosis and risk assessment for coronary artery disease, according to findings published online March 23 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology––Cardiovascular Imaging. The study will also be reported at the American College of Cardiology’s 65th Annual Scientific Session.
“Our findings suggest there might be need for heart-health resources specifically aimed at women, because much of what is provided is for men, and there are significant sex-based differences,” said lead author Kshipra Hemal of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
In one of the largest studies of its kind enrolling patients with suspected coronary heart diseases but without a prior history of the condition, Hemal and colleagues compared the experiences of more than 10,000 patients, evenly split between women and men, in the Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain (or PROMISE).
The Duke-led research team found that women have more risk factors for heart disease than ...

Source: DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features - March 23, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Tags: Duke Medicine Source Type: news