Cardian arrest is one of the most common causes of death worldwide, despite advances in modern medicine. What is worse is that women are less likely to survive a cardiac arrest than men. A new research done by researchers from the University Hospital Basel and the University of Basel suggests, women are less likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit after a cardiac arrest. They receive less intensive care treatment and have a higher risk of dying than men.
Data indicate that women often have less chances of survival after a cardiac arrest and lower quality of life than men. The reasons for this are manifold and, in addition to biological differences, could also be attributed to less frequent or delayed resuscitation measures in women. Research concludes that gender-specific differences in the intensity of treatment before and after admission to the intensive care unit and in the decision on life-prolonging measures are also considered to be the cause of unequal chances of survival. However, there is hardly any research data on these gender-specific differences.
Here are some of the reasons that could make women's survival difficult after a cardiac arrest than men.
Delay in recognition and treatment
- Compared to men, women experience different heart attack symptoms. For men, it is chest pain, which primary symptom of heart attach. However, women might feel nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, or jaw or back pain, which can delay the diagnosis.
- Studies show that bystanders are less likely to perform CPR on women possibly due to hesitation or fear of causing harm.
- Unlike men, women are less likely to receive immediate and timely interventions like angioplasty.
Difference in heart anatomy and physiology
- Women's hearts are generally smaller, with narrower arteries compared to men, which can complicate treatment
- Hormonal differences, especially post-menopause, increase the risk of arrhythmias and decrease blood vessel flexibility, leading to higher chances of complications after cardiac arrest.
Coexisting conditions
- In most cases, women who suffer cardiac arrest have underlying health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease, which can worsen the outcomes of the treatment.
- HFpEF, Heart faliure with preserved ejection fraction is more common in women. This condition is harder to treat effectively compared to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.
Post-cardiac arrest care
The study suggests women are less likely to receive aggressive treatments like therapeutic hypothermia (a cooking technique to improve outcome after cardiac arrest) or cardiac catheterisation.
Although, there are no enough studies that prove that there are biases in healthcare when it comes to treating women after a cardiac arrest, the study does touch upon the data that implicit biases may lead to differences in how women are evaluated and treated compared to men.
Physiological factors
- Women re more likely to live alone or be primary caregivers, which can impact their ability to recover after cardiac arrest.
- Mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression are common in women, which can negatively affect the outcomes and recovery and at the first place, can be a cause of heart attack or cardiac arrest.
Hormonal impact
- After menopause, estrogen's protective effect decline in women, which increase the risk of cardiovascular events and complications.
- Younger women, on the other hand, have more chances of survival due to estrogen. With age this advantage fades, which puts postmenopausal women at a higher risk of cardiac arrest or heart attack.
How to prevent cardiac arrest
Here are some prevention tips to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest or cardiovascular diseases to improve heart health for women.
Don't ignore the warning signs