- UAE Heart Doctors Call for Better Cardiac Care for Women as This Year’s Arab Health Congress Kicks-off
UAE heart doctors are calling for improvements in cardiac care for women as this year’s Arab Health Congress kicks-off, in response to a new regional study* that shows women throughout the Gulf are almost twice as likely to die in hospital after a heart attack, than male patients.
The findings from research looking at the death-rate of 8,166 males and females hospitalised for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) – which includes heart attack and unstable angina – found that female patients who suffered a certain type of heart attack were 1.75 times more likely to die while in hospital compared to males with the same condition.
Delayed diagnosis of ACS, and failure to prescribe the correct cardiovascular medications, and not carrying out the necessary interventions after the event, were behind the increase in death rate, the research project called the Gulf Registry for Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE) concluded.
Dr Wael Mahmeed, President of the Emirates Cardiac Society, and one of the investigators of Gulf RACE, is chairing a session at the Arab Health Congress in Dubai that will discuss ‘Women and Heart Disease’, said: “Higher in-hospital death rates among women with ACS compared to men is very worrying, although this gender difference is not unique to the Gulf, and has been seen in eight previous studies worldwide.”
“This is a very important study that underscores the need for greater emphasis within the medical community to correctly diagnose ACS in women. It also indicates a need for training among medical personnel in spotting the signs and symptoms of the disease in women, which are different to those in men. Speedy diagnosis is essential for ACS treatments to be effective,” Dr Mahmeed added.
Classic signs and symptoms of heart attack include stabbing chest pain that radiates down the left shoulder and arm, shortness of breath, and diagnosis can be made using an electrocardiogram (ECG) carried out at rest and during exercise.
However, women present with atypical symptoms, such as chest pain that appears more muscular in orientation, alongside palpitations and dizziness, while diagnosis of ACS can only be certain after an exercise tolerance test using imaging equipment, such as an ultrasound to monitor the heart.
“Women suffering ACS are more difficult to diagnose than men. This means doctors have to think more openly about heart conditions when assessing female patients, and carry out the necessary tests. Women themselves also need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of heart disease, and take time out of their busy lives to seek medical help if they feel at all unwell,” Dr Mahmeed concluded.
Dr. Mahmeed’s comments come in the wake of a regional tour by Professor Bjorn Dahlof, a world renowned specialist in cardiovascular medicine, which aimed to improve awareness among GPs and non-specialists on how to accurately diagnose and treat heart disease.
Professor Dahlof, who is the Associate Professor of Medicine at Goteborg University in Sweden, spoke at five events in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Kuwait, and Qatar throughout January. A total of 450 medical professionals attended the events which were sponsored by Novartis.
Research:*American Journal of Cardiology:
Comparison of Men and Women with Acute Coronary Syndrome in Six Middle Eastern Countries, 2009;104:1018-1022 
