Winter months are heart attack months, said Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India.
Men and women have about the same adjusted in-hospital death rate for heart attack — but women are more likely to die if hospitalized for a more severe type of heart attack.
According to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association:
1. Women are twice as likely as men to die if hospitalized for a type of heart attack known as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
2. Women are also less likely to receive appropriate and timely treatment for heart attack.
3. Women with STEMI have a 12 percent higher relative risk for in-hospital death compared to men.
4. Compared to men, women are 14 percent less likely to receive early aspirin; 10 percent less likely to receive beta blockers; 25 percent less likely to receive reperfusion therapy (to restore blood flow); 22 percent less likely to receive reperfusion therapy within 30 minutes of hospital arrival; and 13 percent less likely to receive angioplasty within 90 minutes of hospital arrival.
Women admitted with a STEMI are about twice as likely to die in the first 24 hours of hospitalization as men.
About the author: Padmashri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal is a Senior Consultant, Physician, Cardiologist at Delhi based Moolchand Medcity; President Heart Care Foundation of India; Chairman Ethical Committee Delhi Medical Council and has served as the Research and Academic Wing Heads of National Indian Medical Association.
