Oct 15, 2008 7:00 am US/Pacific
Women's Heart Attack Symptoms Still Misdiagnosed
DENVER (CBS) ―
Women suffering heart attack symptoms may not be getting the treatment they need. A new study finds women are more than twice as likely as men to be told "it's just stress" and they don't need any more tests, reports CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.
"We still have this notion in our heads -- a man in under stress and has chest pain, it could be clogged arteries. In a woman, she just has anxiety," said KCNC Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida.
Complicating the picture is the fact that when women have heart problems they don't always get the typical symptoms a man does, like crushing chest pain. Women are more likely to get some shortness of breath, an upset stomach or an achy shoulder.
"But even when the symptoms are identical to a man, we still are too quick to blame anxiety when the patient is a woman," Hnida said.
A group of more than 200 doctors analyzed the cases of two patients: One a 47-year-old man and the other a 56-year-old woman. Both had risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Both complained of episodes of chest pain and at times they even had shortness of breath. The also said they had heart palpitations.
"Sounds like we should be worried about heart disease here," Hnida said.
Yet when both mentioned they were under stress, the man was more likely to get heart disease testing and treatment while the woman twice as likely to be told her symptoms were caused by anxiety.
There was an even 50/50 split among doctors who were men and doctors who were women.
"It's not simply us male physicians who are more prone to overlook the symptoms of heart disease in women," Hnida said.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
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