Gender Disparities May Be Discriminating Against Women During the Sudden Cardiac Arrest, Studies Suggest!

Sudden Cardiac Events Among Women Demand Tailored Attention

Illumination Publication initially publicized this article on Medium!

Medical professionals use the term sudden cardiac death when a victim suffers a sudden onset of a fainting spell, dizziness or loss of consciousness, racing or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath, and nausea—abnormal heart rhythm and malfunction cause later symptoms and signs. The hearts electrical activity fails during the event, thus leading to unexpected loss of heartbeat.

The cause of sudden cardiac arrest is many, including heart attack. However, it can ensue without a clear cause and warning. Thus, if this happens, one must render immediate cardiorespiratory resuscitation to avert the chance of sudden cardiac death.

Every year over 6 million people worldwide suffer from sudden cardiac death. The problem accounts for 20% of the total demise, according to the European SCAPE-NET project that has been going on for the past five years.

Scientists conducting the SCAPE-NET recently reported a sharp rise in primary care visits by patients weeks before the sudden cardiac arrest event. Furthermore, their study demonstrated that women received a slower comeback from the emergency medical response (EMS) during the event than men.

A different study published in European Heart Journal suggested women receive less rapid resuscitation response by a bystander than their male counterparts.

The latter discrepancy, thus, translated into a lower female survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest.

Although heart disease is more prevalent among men, it does not spare women any less. It is the leading cause of fatality among women in the United States.

Every year 1 out of every five death among women is due to heart disease. However, it equally affects American Indian, Alaska Native, white, and black female patients.

The 2017 piece in Harvard Health Publication describes it as “one of the most preventable risks that are underappreciated.”

The report highlights the survey conducted by the American Heart Association.

According to the Study, almost 50% of women knew heart disease was the leading cause of death among them. However, only 13% thought it was the most significant personal risk.

Male Study May Be The Source Of Gender Bias

There are sundry theories as to why women are getting a slower response to sudden cardiac death and this increased mortality rate. One theory bases its reasoning on the idea that most studies are done on the male population.

Scientists also postulate that women’s symptoms during sudden cardiac arrest may differ from those of men, and women may be more likely to die within a year of having a heart attack than men.

Further studies suggest women do not respond to drugs or heart procedures in the same way as their male counterparts.

Additional theories are emerging that uncover other medical, biological, and social factors contributing to the gender discrepancy in sudden cardiac death events.

Furthermore, another source of publication in the European Society Of Cardiology showed that nearly 6,000 people received cardiorespiratory resuscitation between 2006 and 2012. The study further outlined that women were less likely to receive and hence less probable to outlive a cardiac arrest than men.

Indeed, healthcare demands more studies and knowledge that leads to a more tailored approach to sudden cardiac events.

References

1. Cardiac arrest: 5-year research says women are less likely to survive [WWW Document], n.d. . Cardiac arrest: 5-year study says women are less likely to survive. URL https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-are-women-less-likely-to-survive-a-heart-attack-than-men (accessed 1.15.23).
2. CDC, 2022. Women and Heart Disease [WWW Document]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/women.htm (accessed 1.15.23).
3. Gender matters: Heart disease risk in women — Harvard Health [WWW Document], 2006. . Harvard Health. URL https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gender-matters-heart-disease-risk-in-women (accessed 1.15.23).
4. Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Warning Signs and Dangers to Women [WWW Document], n.d. . Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Warning Signs and Dangers to Women. URL https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-women-are-less-likely-to-survive-sudden-cardiac-arrest-than-men (accessed 1.15.23).
5. Cardiac Arrest: 5-Year Research Says Women Less Likely to Survive [WWW Document], 2023. . Cardiac Arrest: 5-Year Research Says Women Less Likely to Survive — Be part of the knowledge — ReachMD. URL https://reachmd.com/news/cardiac-arrest-5-year-research-says-women-less-likely-to-survive/2449775/ (accessed 1.15.23).
6. Study shows women less likely to survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than men [WWW Document], 2020. . study shows women less likely to survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than men: Newsroom — UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas. URL https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2020/out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest.html (accessed 1.15.23).
7. Bystander CPR rates rising, but survival chances worse for women [WWW Document], n.d. . Bystander CPR rates rising, but survival chances worse for women | American Heart Association. URL https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/09/24/bystander-cpr-rates-rising-but-survival-chances-worse-for-women (accessed 1.15.23).
8. Uniweb, T.C., n.d. ERC | Bringing resuscitation to the world [WWW Document]. ERC | Bringing resuscitation to the world. URL https://www.erc.edu/projects/escape-net (accessed 1.15.23).