Gender and CHD

Paper Summary:

As the number one cause of death for Americans, cardiovascular disease kills nearly 10% of women between the ages of 45 and 64 and almost 10,000 women under the age of 45 each year. However, despite these high mortality statistics, women are significantly less likely than men to be diagnosed with a myocardial infarction (MI) and are also less likely to receive aggressive treatment. Why does this disparity exist among diagnoses between men and women? Research has shown that significant differences exist in the type and nature of symptoms displayed by men and women, and symptoms of CHD in women may be missed or misattributed. This review explores gender differences in coronary heart disease. It questions what these gender differences are and how recognition of these differences impacts the diagnosis and treatment of CHD in women.

From the Paper:

"Since the prognosis of women who experience CHD is unfavorable, it is essential that the diagnosis of symptoms is accurate and prompt. Arslanian-Engoren (2000) examined whether emergency department (ED) nurses make different decisions in regards to triage for men and women presenting symptoms of myocardial infarction (MI). This researcher recognized that if nurses were better able to identify symptoms presented by women with CHD, they would be better able to identify the presence of an acute cardiac event, and could therefore quickly initiate aggressive treatments that could save lives."

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