23,455 women die from CVD in Australia every year, compared with 21,937 men. That’s around three women every hour.
This needs to change. We need to rid ourselves of this perception that heart disease is a ‘man’s disease’.
Men are much more likely to have their heart disease risk factors measured by their GP, according to a new report by The George Institute for Global Health and The University of Sydney.
Believe it or not, men look after themselves better. Their study, which looked at over 53,000 patients across 60 sites in Australia, found the odds of women being suitably screened was 12 per cent lower than men. Do we talk to our doctors well enough?
Risk factors for CVD include raised cholesterol and blood pressure levels, Type 2 diabetes and smoking.
Female smokers also have a 25 per cent higher risk of CVD than male smokers.
Unequal treatment across the sexes
The research also found younger women aged 35 to 54 who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were 37 per cent less likely to be treated with the right preventative medicines, such as blood pressure drugs, statins and anti-platelets, than their male counterparts.
In contrast, women older than 65 were 34 per cent more likely than older men to have the right medications prescribed.
The authors say they now fear one of the reasons more middle-aged women are dying from heart disease is because they are not being treated correctly, with many not even being asked basic questions about their health by their GPs.
“These medications can greatly reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke. If these findings are representative, many women could be missing out on life saving treatment right now – just because of their age and gender,” said Karice Hyun from the University of Sydney.
Talk to your GP and have your risk factors assessed – and make sure they ask the questions. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
