Tag: gender bias in medicine

Research on cardiac care disparities between men and women: a waste of time?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 10 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas   ♥  @HeartSisters

I’m wondering how many more cardiac studies published in medical journals we’ll need before medical professionals start believing what decades of published research have already concluded. Here’s just one example: British researchers have described those past conclusions as: “an undeniable gender-based inequality in cardiovascular health to the detriment of women.”(1) 

At this point, I can’t help myself. Whenever I come across yet another heart study that comes to that identical conclusion, I have to quote my irreverent and brilliant heart sister Laura Haywood Cory, who at age 40 survived a heart attack caused by  Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD). No matter the specific focus, Laura interprets those “ain’t it awful?” cardiac research conclusions like this:  “Sucks to be female – better luck next life!”       Continue reading “Research on cardiac care disparities between men and women: a waste of time?” →

Dear Carolyn: “I couldn’t tell if my pain was ‘normal’.”

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 7 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas   ♥  @HeartSisters

I happen to have a pain specialist in my family:  my darling 6-year old granddaughter Everly Rose, who studies her assorted owies very seriously. She updates me at each visit on how every scratch, scar or scab is coming along, rating the pain that each injury caused her on the playground, at summer day camp, or while playing with Homie, her cat. 

I, on the other hand, am apparently keen on NOT making a fuss, no matter what – yes, even the chest and left arm pain that continued during my own misdiagnosed heart attack.

One of my Toronto readers told me recently about the time that she too could not bring herself to describe her pain as pain.  As part of my occasional “Dear Carolyn” series of reader narratives, I’m sharing her story here. Notice how many times she avoids revealing her true pain:       .          .   Continue reading “Dear Carolyn: “I couldn’t tell if my pain was ‘normal’.”” →