Originally published January 2 2006
Pain ratings may be preventing doctors from detecting the real amount of pain experienced by women with heart problems
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
According to a study from the University of Michigan, women's reported pain ratings related to heart troubles, which are the same as men, could be responsible for why they receive less aggressive treatment, as doctors are unaware of the severity of many women's heart problems.
Women with heart problems may be "tougher" about their disease than their male counterparts, a new University of Michigan study suggests.
In a study published in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Medicine, researchers from the U-M College of Pharmacy and the U-M Cardiovascular Center report the results of an exhaustive survey of 490 heart patients treated at U-M for a heart attack or severe chest pain who were enrolled in a research registry.
In all, the 142 women and 348 men rated the severity of their heart disease about the same.
But in fact, the women had much worse disease, took many more medicines, and experienced more serious symptoms and limitations on their daily lives, according to their medical records and answers on standardized questionnaires.
In other words, the women who had major problems related to their heart disease were just as likely to rate their disease as "mild to moderate" as men with far less-severe problems.
"If women do not perceive their cardiac disease as severe, they may not pursue medical evaluation, treatment or rehabilitation."
Indeed, previous studies by other researchers have shown that women heart-attack survivors, for example, are less likely to go for post-heart attack rehab programs involving exercise and education to help patients improve their health.
"Physician bias and lack of awareness have been leading suspects, but no one has examined differences in attitudes," he says.
The patients provided demographic data about themselves, reported how many medications they were taking, and completed standardized questionnaires that assessed the severity and impact of their heart-related symptoms and other medical conditions, any limits on their physical function and activity, and their heart's capacity to help them perform daily activities and exercise.
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