Invasive heart treatment of women could cut their mortality risk

However, better and more invasive treatments can significantly help women heart patients to recover from the condition, suggests the study.

Study researcher Francois Schiele, MD, chief cardiologist at the University Hospital of Besancon in France, was quoted by WebMD as saying that when possible, "women should be treated with all recommended strategies, including invasive ones."

3500 patients examined
A team of doctors at the University Hospital of Besancon in France examined 3,500 men and women hospitalized in the French region of Franche-Comte after a cardiac event between 2006 and 2007.

Of all, a third constituted women participants who were nine years older than men on an average.

For the study, the researchers took into account both women’s and men’s physiological differences as well as the treatments they received.

Results of the study
The researchers found that women heart patients were less likely to receive invasive treatments such as angiogram -- an imaging technique that allows examination of the blood vessels -- or an angioplasty, where a coronary artery is dilated, and often a small stent is inserted to keep the artery open, reported the Press Association.

On the other hand, men heart patients were more likely to receive aggressive aforesaid treatments.

Additionally, women had a twofold higher risk (9.7 percent) of dying during their hospital stay compared to just five percent risk in men.

The mortality risk in women rose to 12.4 percent within 30 days of having a heart attack compared to just seven percent risk in men.

The findings remained similar even after accounting certain risk factors in women such as age, blood pressure, kidney function, as well as the treatments they received.

The researchers concluded that if women heart patients are administered similar invasive treatments as men, they would derive same health benefits given the surgeon is well efficient in handling the procedure.

"This suggests that we could reduce mortality in female patients by using more invasive procedures. When there are no clear contradictions, women should be treated with all recommended strategies, including invasive strategies," Schiele said.

"The main question we tried to answer with this study was whether the difference in mortality between women and men after a heart attack is explained by differences in management," he added.

Findings of the study were presented on March 16 at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting.