Post-heart attack fatalities higher in women than men

Women who suffer a heart attack are twice as likely as men to die within the following month because they receive different medical treatment than men, researchers have said.

The study examined 3,000 women and men hospitalised in the French region of Franche-Comte after a cardiac event between 2006 and 2007, and examined the treatment they received.

It found women were less likely to receive either an 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.

The lead author of the study yesterday said its findings showed women should be given the more aggressive treatments often reserved for male patients.

"This suggests that we could reduce mortality in female patients by using more invasive procedures," said Francois Schiele, head of cardiology at the Besancon university hospital, speaking on the sidelines of an annual conference of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta.

When there are no clear contradictions, women should be treated with all recommended strategies, including invasive strategies," he added.