Reuters (2/10, Doyle) reports that research published in Circulation indicates that young women may experience more stress following a heart attack than male counterparts, which could potentially explain why female patients have worse recovery than men.
The Today Show Online (2/10, Raymond) reports that investigators looked at data on nearly 2,400 female patients and more than 1,100 male patients, all of whom had survived a heart attack and who were participating in the Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients (VIRGO). The researchers found that “Women had worse recovery one month after heart attack on multiple outcome measures, such as chest-pain-related physical function and quality of life as well as overall health.” Female patients “had a significantly higher level of mental stress.” Higher stress levels “among women partially explained their worse recovery.”
Related Links:
— “After heart attack, women more stressed than men,” Kathryn Doyle, Reuters, February 9, 2015.