hi just watching telly and seen the Heart Research UK ad about women and heart disease, when it started it started with the “normal” male actor rubbing his chest whilst eating a fry up then changes to the woman serving him. I didn’t pay attention at first till they said “her disease”. Stopped me, cold.
It’s a bit chilling but so important. I hope lots see it. Women are so often misdiagnosed or assumed it’s anxiety. Had this myself earlier this year.
cheers.
I hear you!
"Mrs Milkfairy you can't possibly have angina or a heart attack your coronary arteries are clear "
Said to me by a Cardiologist who turned off my IV GTN which was stopping my coronary vasospasms.
Changed his mind when he watched me have a severe episode of chest pain.
I, then wasn't allowed home until I'd had a cardiac MRI to check no lasting damage to my heart.
Have a look at the Lancet Women and Cardiovascular Disease Commission's Report.
Scary as I believe men often present with crushing chest pain and are listened to whilst women will often have their symptoms passed off as stress/anxiety/indigestion… Happened to me and when I finally got an angiogram I actually cried when consultant came to my bedside and said I had severe heart disease. The nurse with him said don’t worry, you will go through a lot of different emotions as it is a shock. All I could say was ‘I thought I was wasting your time’! I had been made to feel like I was making a fuss when I knew there was something wrong. Women are sometimes too strong for their own good. Be careful ladies.
There seems to be an unconscious bias about women and heart disease.
I was told I was too young, too thin, too fit. Worst of all I was told by a leading Cardiology Prof, that I had a pain problem not a heart problem and that I would more likely die of breast cancer not heart disease.
All of which is untrue
leeds.ac.uk/news/article/42....
that’s awful. Not just misdiagnosis but enough to put the fear of damn into you thinking you might get breast cancer. How crass
Practice Nurse (no GP - covid) said I had a fast heart beat but otherwise didn't fit the 'profile' but she did refer me. I was referred to a cardiologist who said there was nothing wrong with me. In the report he sent to my GP, (copy to me), his final words were "I fail to understand this lady's perception of breathlessness." 3 weeks later I had a heart attack followed by a triple bypass
@&e always said it was muscular with me, had a CT scan and had a severely blocked right artery, still had severe pain and had tests for mircovascular angina, we know when there is something wrong with us, I started to believe it was all in my head, relief to know it was something
When I had my angiogram with acetylcholine which confirmed my diagnosis of vasospastic, I asked the Cardiologist ' so my pain is not in my head then?'
He replied ' No, your pain is real, you have coronary vasospasms '
I was so relieved. I felt validated, I was right something was wrong.
I hope your investigations for microvascular angina go okay.
Microvascular and vasospastic angina can be difficult to diagnose and they are still poorly understood conditions..
Usually fobbed off with indigestion.
Yes that was me after being blue lighted to A&E with suspected heart attack. Even in A&E nurse who triaged me ignored heart because I only had severe indigestion and tingling in left arm and neck. ECG by paramedics said different. I was ignored for 5 hours.
oh dear , I’ve heard this so many times. I have to say when I had mine I went all day taking antacids thinking it was indigestion . It came and went until 8 o’clock at night when it really kicked in.
I should have realised but we just don’t have the knowledge of female heart attacks. We only see the same hand grabbing at a chest.
to be ignored for 5 hours must have been awful but you have survived and I wish you all the very best.
It happens to men too. Late 2020 I had chest pains and ectopics feeling in chest . Went to GP and then cardiologist. They did 24 hour holter and ecg. Cardiologist told me I was a fit active man , dont smoke or drink and nothing wrong except ectopics caused by anxiety, he suggested.
A few months later had a severe heart attack and sufering ever since. If only he did a scan I would have been stented, put on statrins for my severe heart disease . Instead blue lighted, my artery completely occluded for life and reduced EF, damaged electricals and lvsd etc etc. Implant inserted tomorrow .
Also men less likely to visit GP
I am sorry your symptoms were overlooked.
My brother in law, then aged 47 years, had a stress echocardiogram, which showed no problems. A week later he had a massive heart attack and out of hospital cardiac arrest. He is thankfully still with us.
Medicine isn't an exact science.
Unfortunately research has shown that women's heart disease is over looked more often than men's.
Women's pattern and presentation of heart disease can be different. Women are less likely to take part in research .
Women respond differently to their medication.
It has only been recognised recently that troponin blood levels are lower in women when they are having heart attacks.
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Book by Caroline Criado-Perez
Also Women's Heart by Prof Angela Maas
Provide an explanation of the issues.
Good luck for your procedure tomorrow.
Yes, agreed, it is not just a woman thing
Yes, it does happen to men. Just more likely to happen if you are a woman.
Younger women having heart attacks have a poorer outlook.
academic.oup.com/eurheartj/...
but predominantly more women than men misdiagnosed (see link per Milkfairy further up). It’s not right for anyone but as above there is data bias towards men. A more sensitive troponin test has been showed through study as being required to diagnose women.
I was not diagnosed for nearly two years because blood tests and ecg’s came back normal . I tell everyone who wants to listen if you have a pain in your chest that doesn’t go away don’t worry about pushing for further tests . It’s your body , your life .
I so agree. If I had just taken statins and accepted that I would never get an angiogram, as our practitioner kept telling me, I would still be walking around with a 99% blocked main artery as a ‘ticking time bomb’. Fortunately that artery has now been stented. I feel amazing. I am eternally grateful, especially when I read so many awful accounts of treatment on here. It is your body and I think if you listen to it, you know when something is wrong. You really do have to push and look after yourself.
😃
Hello Milkfairy. Yes I saw this advert to and it stopped me in my tracks and brought to mind my late Mother-in-Law. She was experiencing pain in her breast and it lasted for quite a time until she was tested and she had actually had a heart attack. I think all too often unless it is written in a journal/reference book then it is or can be misdiagnosed. I believe that sometimes medical staff should 'think out of the box.' I would like to think that regular studies would be done amongst a broad range of women to compare/analyse what symptom or symptoms they 'experienced' before having a heart attack because not everything written in a medical journal runs true to course [if you know what I mean]. Take care.
Thank goodness it is now being addressed womens heart health presents itself very differently.
Haven't seen that ad yet but it's about time. When I had my HA my only symptoms were seriously bad indigestion. I did nothing until my left arm started to tingle. Ambulance took me straight to A&E where I was triaged by a ( female) nurse then left behind locked doors on a corridor for 5 hours. That nurse alone decided it wasn't urgent because I wasn't grey and sweating and wasn't clutching my chest in pain. Even nurses are not aware of the difference between men's and woman's symptoms.
Scary to read your experience, terrifying that should happen to anyone, definitely highlights the lack of awareness and education whether that be male or female medical professionals.
They're ally are not aware of differences. I sent a complaint about my experience and stressed the lack of knowledge
this very very common, women do not present HA’s in the same way as men and mostly ignored.
I had that happen too, both times the ambulance and A&E personnel said it couldn't possibly be the heart, until the troponin test. I was under a gp who refused to take the advice of diabetic specialist to start statins, I left that gp after heart attack, didn't want to die under her 'care '. Last time I requested an angiogram, my cardiologist respects me to follow through, the cardiologist who did it had difficulty ballooning and stent the LAD , he shook his head later when I told him about my mild symptoms. There have been times when A&E try to convince me it's only indigestion. Take care everyone, listen to your body. Moni
on top of the scary facts pointed out by Milk fairy i'd like to add that most commonly used cardiac drugs have not been adequately tested on women because women of child bearing years are largely excluded from trials - why apply to take part in research when you will be excluded anyway!
Also most dosages are calculated using data based on men's body mass
There is a recently launched charity, Women's Heartbeat, which aims to:" promote awareness of the different types of heart problems and the symptoms (which can differ from those in men). By providing information, broadening education and assisting with guidance for both patients and medical professionals, we hope to improve these statistics."
there’s a great book called ‘a woman’s guide to living with heart disease’ by Carolyn Thomas, who was also misdiagnosed and also has a website called Heart Sisters. She was told her ‘widow maker’ heart attack was indigestion and sent home. Her premise is that it’s different for women, but most of the medics are oriented to men. Available online if you’re interested.
thanks will have a look👍
not seen the add yet but will look out for it. I have had many symptoms over the years, all put down to being idiopathic, psychosomatic, obesity, menopause etc etc. Fast forward to last year, sheer good luck and amazing paramedics survived a STEMI, cardiologist even questioned whether I was really having s heart attack on arrival as I had no typical symptoms.if the last year has tought me one thing, it is fight for your own health, if you feel something isn’t right, shout it from the rooftops until you are heard x
I’m sorry to hear to that you’ve had such a difficult time in being believed, it’s cruel to make us second guess / doubt ourselves and be told it’s in our heads when we know something isn’t right. Unfortunately it takes people like yourself to have to go through this to be able to offer the rest of us “just starting out” such good advice. Thank you
Heart disease in 40's
Food for heart disease 
Is Diastolic Dysfunction classed as heart disease? 
