Acute Coronary Syndromes in Women Different Presentation and Poorer Outcomes – MM1703
The community perception that heart attack is a ‘man’s disease’ contributes to longer delays in women presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Heart attacks are common in older women and urgent hospital transfer for management is vital. Presentation of ACS in women can be atypical rather than
typical angina pain. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is far more common in women than in men. It is brought on by emotional stress and resolves with a favourable
prognosis. Women have a worse prognosis after an ACS. Women respond just as well as men to early reperfusion therapies for coronary occlusion but if there
are delays in diagnosis or treatment delivery, their outcome is worse.
Modern Medicine – March 2017
