Heart disease affects men and women equally, but women are often underrepresented in research studies. This can lead to delayed or inaccurate diagnoses and less effective treatments. Addressing this imbalance is crucial for improving outcomes for all patients.
Understanding sex- and gender-specific symptoms
Women often present different symptoms than men during heart-related events. While men typically experience chest pain, women may show less obvious signs, such as:
- Nausea
- Back pain
- Fatigue
These differences can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment, as women’s symptoms are not always recognized as heart-related.
Why treatment inequality exists
Many treatment guidelines are based on studies that include mostly male participants. As a result, women may:
- Respond differently to medications and procedures
- Receive treatments that are less effective for their specific needs
The importance of representation in studies
Although heart disease is equally common in both genders, studies often fail to achieve a balanced participant ratio. A fair ratio would be 0.8 to 1.2 , yet this standard is rarely achieved.
Progress is being made:
- Since 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has required researchers to include both sexes in their studies.
- Today, 50% of participants in NIH-funded studies are women.
However, just including women is not enough—researchers must also analyze data by gender to ensure relevant findings.
The Path Forward: Improving Outcomes for Women
To enhance heart health for women, research must:
- Recognize sex- and gender-specific symptoms,
- Provide accurate diagnoses tailored to women’s needs,
- Develop treatments based on comprehensive, gender-inclusive data.
Including more women in clinical trials and analyzing results by sex and gender will help create better outcomes for all patients.
A Call for Equity in Heart Research
Improving heart health for women requires a commitment to sex- and gender-balanced studies and sex- and gender-specific data analysis. Ensuring that both men and women receive the most effective care is not just a matter of equity—it is a matter of life and death.
If you would like to find out more about the topics of gender-specific medicine and the related work of EQUAL CARE,
visit us on Instagram, X, LinkedIn or on our website www.equal-care.org.
Sources:
[1] Bastian-Pétrel, K. et al. (2024). Sex and gender bias in chronic coronary syndromes research: Analysis of studies used to inform the 2019 European Society of Cardiology guidelines