by PWeekly | Feb 5, 2016
Each year, more than 15,000 women younger than age 55 die from heart disease, ranking it among the leading causes of death in this age group. “Young women have twice the risk of dying during hospitalization for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as similarly aged men,” says Judith H. Lichtman, PhD, MPH. Research suggests that delays in recognizing AMI symptoms and seeking medical care may contribute to poorer outcomes for women, but most of these studies involve patients older than 55. Few studies have examined the perceptions and actions of women younger than 55 who experience AMI symptoms. “With a better understanding of the perspective of these women with regard to AMI symptoms and their interactions with healthcare providers, clinicians can gain valuable insights into factors that influence prompt care-seeking behaviors,” Dr. Lightman say. To address this research gap, Dr. Lichtman, and colleagues had a qualitative study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes in which 30 younger women (aged 30 to 55) who were recently hospitalized with AMI described their experiences with AMI symptoms and their decision-making process to seek medical care. The purpose was to identify factors that may contribute to delays in recognizing symptoms and engaging the healthcare system. Important Themes According to the results, five themes characterized the experiences of women. First, prodromal symptoms varied substantially in both nature and duration. Second, women inaccurately assessed their personal risk of heart disease and commonly attributed symptoms to non-cardiac causes. Third, it appeared that competing and conflicting priorities influenced decisions about seeking acute care. Fourth, the healthcare system was not consistently responsive to women, which resulted in...
by admin | Apr 19, 2013
A recent study indicates that awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of death in women has increased to 56%, marking a significant rise since 1997. However, CVD awareness and its risk of death among women appears to have plateaued in more recent...
by TimH | May 16, 2011
Women with long-term persistence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection appear to be generally more susceptible to other HPV infections, especially longer-lasting infections, than women who have these infections cleared, according to an international investigation. In a logistic regression model, women with long-term HPV persistence were more likely than women who cleared infections to have another newly-detected HPV infection detected when assessed at three or more office visits (odds ratio,...
