I like the analogy re your daughter: ask yourselves “What would I do if this were my daughter/son/friend/mother experiencing these symptoms?” Would I be afraid to make a fuss in front of the doctor? NO!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a long way to go when it comes to standing up for our own health issues.

Thanks so much for this, I’m forwarding this to every woman I know. Good luck to you in your continued recuperation.
Sincerely
Fatima

Does it mean that a 35 year old woman has higher odds of a misdiagnosis than a 60 year old? Why?

At Mayo Clinic, we learned several reasons for this. First, virtually all cardiac tests have been designed, developed and tested on male patients, not females. The treadmill stress test, for example, is notoriously less accurate in identifying heart disease in women. The cardiac enzyme troponin begins to peak in men’s bloodstreams 4-6 hours after the onset of heart attack symptoms. But women’s troponin levels can peak far later during a heart attack, at 18-24 hours, which can result in “normal” blood tests like mine if you are sent home from the E.R. within five hours of admission – long before your blood enzymes start peaking.

Mayo Clinic cardiologists also told us that there are two types of heart disease that are more common in women than in men, and thus harder to accurately identify using current diagnostic tools:
1. single vessel disease
2. non-obstructive coronary artery disease (microvascular dysfunction, or vasospasms like Prinzmetal’s variant angina)

I met a woman last year who told me of overhearing a conversation in the E.R. between a (male) physician and the (male) heart patient. “Your EKG is fine, and your blood tests are fine,” said the doctor to his patient. “But we’re going to keep you for observation to make sure it isn’t your heart!”

That story illustrates the tragedy of this problem: men are being kept for observation despite “normal” cardiac test results, while women with “normal” results are being sent home with misdiagnoses ranging from acid reflux to anxiety to gall bladder or menopause problems.

Thanks Ruth!
cheers,
C.

Thanks, D….