Women at risk from CVD because of gender bias

© Von Schonertagen - Fotolia.com

Although there has been progress in raising awareness about CVD in women and studying the specifics of the disease, as well as in adapting CVD treatment and care for women, the gap is still too wide.

This will be one of the topics of the World Congress of Cardiology in Melbourne, where group of leading experts at the World Heart Federation's World Congress of Cardiology (WCC) is calling for further research, better information for healthcare professionals and women and tailor-made treatments to bridge this gap finally.

To celebrate 'Wear Red Day' for women at WCC, new research is presented on women's heart health, alongside examples of work being undertaken in several countries to improve the recognition, prevention and treatment of CVD and practical ways to provide better, targeted care for women.

More research needed

Professor Linda Worrall-Carter, director of St Vincent's Centre for Nursing Research & the Cardiovascular Research Centre will be presenting a new study that further reinforces the need for research and better information for women. In a sample of 2000 Australian women, Worrall-Carter and colleagues found that young women aged 35-59 years experiencing acute coronary syndromes were less likely than men were to undergo coronary interventions.

Future research investigating symptom presentation of younger women as well as exploring perceptions of health care workers is needed, as it could explain the reasons of this disparity, says Worrall-Carter. "We need to ensure that all health professionals understand gender differences when it comes to cardiovascular disease. Awareness regarding atypical symptom presentations of women and understanding healthcare workers perceptions are key to ensure women are getting the most appropriate and timely treatment, no matter their age or background."

Women themselves also need to be better informed: CVD is the number one killer of women, but the risk of dying or becoming seriously harmed due to heart disease and stroke is still largely underestimated by the majority of women, who do not perceive CVD as one of their major health concerns.

US research on link with cancer survivors

In Chicago and Los Angeles, in-clinic research has looked at the way women seek CVD treatment and how collaborations with colleagues treating other female-specific disease can improve care of CVD for women.

Heart damage related to chemotherapy and premature heart disease is a problem for breast cancer survivors. Researchers at the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute are calling for the introduction of cardio-oncology clinics, to support cancer survivors in implementing lifestyle changes and preventive measures for heart disease. The research team has established a multidisciplinary program including cardiologists, breast cancer surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, as well as colleagues from cardiac imaging and rehabilitation medicine.

Dr Puja K Mehta explains, "Out of nearly 900 women we saw at the Center, over a seven month period, a significant number of cancer survivors also had cardiac problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes or coronary artery disease. Programs and strategies to identify cardiac risk factors in cancer survivors are needed and represent an excellent preventive opportunity."

In Chicago, a team of physicians at Rush University Medical Center found that there are important differences between women who seek CVD care at heart centres for women or at general cardiology offices. Dr Annabelle Volgman of Rush University talks about this research of 365 women and their care preferences. "Our most interesting finding was that the majority of women didn't have a strong preference to see a female doctor, however, it was really important to them that the doctor they saw specialised in heart disease in women. Our research is a starting point in looking at women's preferences and we need to do more in this area to confirm these findings and put them into practice."

Go Red for women

Together with its members across the world, the World Heart Federation runs the annual Go Red for Women campaign to improve women's knowledge of heart disease and stroke so that they can take action and achieve longer, better heart-healthy lives. On Tuesday 6 May, the World Congress of Cardiology celebrated Wear Red day. Go Red for Women was created by the American Heart Association to improve women's knowledge of heart disease and is run globally by over 50 member organisations of the World Heart Federation.