Doctors more likely to miss heart attacks in women

Women have a 50% higher chance than men of receiving the wrong initial diagnosis following a heart attack, according to a study by the University of Leeds.

Why are women more likely to be misdiagnosed?
Why are women more likely to be misdiagnosed?

There are two main types of heart attack, although both result in serious damage to the heart muscle:

• STEMI, when there is a total blockage of the main artery that pumps oxygenated blood around the body.

• NSTEMI, which is more common, is a partial blockage of one or more arteries.

This research found that women who had a final diagnosis of STEMI had a 59% greater chance of a misdiagnosis compared with men. Women who had a final diagnosis of NSTEMI had a 41% greater chance of a misdiagnosis when compared with men.

This is not helpful, because receiving a quick diagnosis and getting the correct treatment after a heart attack is important in ensuring the best possible recovery.

Both men and women who were misdiagnosed had about a 70% increased risk of death after 30 days compared with those who had received a consistent diagnosis.

The British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the research, is urging people to be more aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, to avoid mistakes being made in diagnosis.

Are your children getting their jabs?

Millions of children are at risk of contracting potentially lethal diseases as some vaccination rates in England have been falling for the past two years, the health watchdog NICE has warned.

Are your children getting their jabs?

In some areas of the country, although fewer than 1 in 5 children are unvaccinated against diseases such as polio and diphtheria, experts have warned that unless uptake rates improve there is a risk of these diseases making a comeback.

Last year only a quarter of local authorities met World Health Organization targets to vaccinate 95% of children against measles, mumps and rubella.

Around 3 million children and young people may have missed a mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine. ‘With so many children open to exposure we are at risk of a serious outbreak,’ warns NICE.

Remember, vaccinations don’t just protect the people receiving them – vaccination also protects all of us by eliminating infections from the country. So make sure your children get theirs.