FR | ENG
Women's Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation
Agir pour le Coeur des Femmes
WCHF Logo
logofg

NEWS

Women less well diagnosed

Women less well diagnosed

More vulnerable than men to cardiovascular disease, women are also less likely to be diagnosed. 60 millions de consommateurs takes a close look at the cardiovascular aspect in its special issue devoted to women's health.

It's important to disseminate accurate information, which will help with diagnosis. A woman may be treated for sciatica for years with anti-inflammatory drugs, then suddenly realize "she's a smoker, she's on the pill, it could be arteritis", and be correctly diagnosed...

Another important piece of information: in women undergoing the menopause, progressive estrogen deficiency leads to a thickening of the arterial wall, which becomes more rigid. This promotes hypertension, one of the main risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.

And finally, an essential aspect of coronary disease in women may present itself differently before the age of 50. Atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries are soft and pliable. They tear and reattach. This gives rise to symptoms that come and go, including palpitations, shortness of breath and digestive pain. Asphyxiation of the heart muscle is less brutal than when a coronary artery is blocked, but no less severe.

Taking into account all the symptoms specific to women is essential to diagnosis and treatment.

 
SEE ALSO

6 extra years of healthy life

Taking care of yourself in your forties can pay off! The greatest gains in life expectancy are linked to reducing alcohol consumption, quitting or not smoking, losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight, and adopting good sleeping habits. Taking responsibility for one's own health has a [...]

Read more

Take care of yourself

To live in good health for as long as possible, make yourself want to take care of yourself! Get moving Engage in physical activity for 10 minutes or more as soon as possible, which makes you breathe harder, your heart beat faster and you feel warmer Manage your stress Set aside some time each day, [...]

Read more

A pig's heart transplanted into a patient

This first transplant by the team of surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center is the culmination of an exceptional mobilization of research teams. The transplanted heart comes from a pig farm specifically designed for human transplants. These pigs are bred under strictly sterile [...]

Read more

 Your donation will help improve
prevention at the key moments
of a woman's life
DONATE NOW