Doctors often mistakenly give men and women different advice on how to prevent heart disease, a new report has found. Women are usually advised to modify their lifestyle – ie lose weight, eat healthier, exercise regularly – while men are more likely to be prescribed lipid-lowering drugs. The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology in Asia on Friday, show that gender significantly influences the way patients are given advice on heart disease prevention, with the guidelines being the same for all genders.
HEALTH NEWS Heart Disease Verified: Study Finds Women Get Different Medical Advice Than Men Julia Ries December 5, 2022 - Fact Verified Dana K. Cassell
Doctors mistakenly give women different medical advice to prevent heart disease compared to men. Women are more likely to be told to diet and exercise, and men are more likely to be prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. A new report finds that doctors often mistakenly give men and women different advice on how to prevent heart disease. Women are usually advised to modify their lifestyle – ie lose weight, eat healthier, exercise regularly – while men are more likely to be prescribed lipid-lowering drugs. The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology in Asia on Friday, show that gender significantly influences the way patients are given heart disease prevention advice, although the guidelines are the same for all genders.
Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States.
For example, approximately 697,000 Americans died of heart disease in 2020. That math suggests that 1 in 5 deaths are caused by heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Mary McGowanTrusted Source, chief medical officer of the Family Heart Foundation Trusted Source, says men and women should be treated equally when it comes to a range of risk-reduction measures.
“Ineffective treatment of women with lipid-lowering therapy will lead to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Second, this study suggests that men are less likely to be offered lifestyle advice than women," McGowan told Healthline.
HEALTH NEWS Heart Disease Verified: Study Finds Women Get Different Medical Advice Than Men Julia Ries December 5, 2022 - Fact Verified Dana K. Cassell
Doctors mistakenly give women different medical advice to prevent heart disease compared to men. Women are more likely to be told to diet and exercise, and men are more likely to be prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. A new report finds that doctors often mistakenly give men and women different advice on how to prevent heart disease. Women are usually advised to modify their lifestyle – ie lose weight, eat healthier, exercise regularly – while men are more likely to be prescribed lipid-lowering drugs. The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology in Asia on Friday, show that gender significantly influences the way patients are given heart disease prevention advice, although the guidelines are the same for all genders. Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. For example, approximately 697,000 Americans died of heart disease in 2020. That math suggests that 1 in 5 deaths are caused by heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Mary McGowanTrusted Source, chief medical officer of the Family Heart Foundation Trusted Source, says men and women should be treated equally when it comes to a range of risk-reduction measures. “Ineffective treatment of women with lipid-lowering therapy will lead to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Second, this study suggests that men are less likely to be offered lifestyle advice than women," McGowan told Healthline. Women are less likely to be prescribed life-saving heart drugs. In the study, researchers evaluated the health data of 8,512 men and women aged 40 to 79. The participants had no history of heart disease, but 2,924 had a higher risk of developing heart disease and were eligible for statins, according to the risk calculator. The researchers then calculated how likely men and women were to be prescribed statin therapy and to be advised to lose weight, eat healthier and exercise more. The research team found that men were 20% more likely to be prescribed statins compared to women. According to the analysis, women were 27% more likely to be advised to lose weight, 38% more likely to be advised to exercise regularly and 11% more likely to reduce their fat or calorie intake. "Our findings highlight the need for greater awareness among healthcare professionals to ensure that both women and men receive the most up-to-date information on how to maintain heart health," study author Dr. Prima Wulandari, clinical researcher in cardiology at Harvard Medical. School and Massachusetts General Hospital, he said in a news release.
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