Women are undertreated following myocardial infarction (MI) compared with men, research shows. Much of this difference could be accounted for by age, because heart attacks tend to occur in women later in life than in men.
Dr Barbara Hanratty (department of public health, University of Liverpool) and colleagues conducted an observational study of 2,153 patients admitted with acute MI to hospitals in Yorkshire.
Fewer women than men received early aspirin (83 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively) and thrombolysis (37 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively). Women were less likely to be discharged taking aspirin and b-blockers, but were as likely as men to receive ACE inhibitors, antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants, calcium antagonists, nitrates and statins.
Women tended to be older than men when admitted with acute MI. After adjustment for age, the difference in treatments was not significant. In-hospital mortality was higher for women (30 per cent versus 19 per cent for men) and crude mortality rate at two years was also higher for women.
The authors conclude: "Women have a worse prognosis after acute MI and undertreatment of older people with aspirin and thrombolysis may be contributing to this. "(Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2000;54:912).