For decades, the medical world thought the female heart was a smaller version of the male heart. We are quickly learning that the heart isn’t a one-size-fits-all organ. Before that, heart disease was considered an illness that only affected men. Many believed the only role women had in this topic area was helping their husbands live with it. The American Heart Association even hosted a conference in the 1960s, themed “How Can I Help My Husband Cope with Heart Disease?“
Despite heart disease being the leading killer of women, the field is grossly understudied, as the majority of cardiovascular research is still focused on men. This gap has created a grey area in women’s health for too long, and with February being American Heart Month, it’s the perfect time to highlight this disparity and serve as a crucial reminder that advocacy starts with awareness.
THE HEALTH GAP
The heart is a biological masterpiece, but our medical understanding of it has long centered on a male-only blueprint. To understand why women are still more likely to face misdiagnosis or delayed treatment, we have to examine the statistical side of the gender gap. Until just recently, relative to the practice of medicine, research conducted on women predominantly focused on reproductive disease. It put other chronic diseases on the back burner, assuming that they affected women the same way they affected men. This has made the entire field of women’s health evolve extremely slowly, putting millions of women at increased risk for many illnesses.
According to the American Heart Association, women are seven times more likely than men to be sent home from an emergency room without the appropriate cardiac testing. This often happens because women tend to exhibit different symptoms, such as shortness of breath or nausea, that can be mistaken for panic attacks or other issues. It’s also a common social stereotype that women are more emotional, leading to a higher likelihood of a panic attack diagnosis when something more alarming is actually happening.
Each year, roughly 500,000 women die from heart disease in the United States. Heart Research UK reports that about 23,000 women die from heart disease annually, and the British Heart Foundation suggests more than 8,000 of these deaths could have been prevented by closing the gender data gap. That’s nearly 35%, and if we apply this number to the lives lost in the United States, theoretically, 175,000 women’s lives could be saved every single year. 175,000 mothers, sisters, and daughters die every year, and will never get the chance to take another breath and live the lives they deserved, all because of sexism in the medical field.
THIS IS PERSONAL
In the United States, nearly 50% of women are living with some form of heart disease. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you likely have a woman in your life who is affected by this data. Maybe you’ve even lost someone to heart disease; those victims are what make these statistics more than just numbers. These aren’t just distant figures; they’re a cry for help and a call to broaden the scope of cardiovascular studies and awareness because this is personal.
The reality of this data gap becomes much sharper when experienced firsthand, and having spent years navigating how the cardiovascular healthcare system treats women, I have gained a unique vantage point on how gender bias functions as a literal barrier to life-saving care. I have progressive heart disease, and while people with it can live their entire lives asymptomatic, it needs to be monitored annually to ensure it hasn’t become life-threatening. On top of this constant surveillance, it’s also important to be aware of its presence to alter day-to-day habits accordingly to decrease the risk of fatality and needing open heart surgery.
Despite clear evidence of its presence, finding it was not an easy task. Just like many women who have stood in my shoes, I spent years insisting something wasn’t right. I constantly experienced heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and a plethora of other symptoms. I frequented the emergency room, being sent home with a recommendation to drink water and told that it was likely just a panic attack. After years of frustration, I simply skipped attempting to get my primary care doctor to refer me to the cardiologist and went myself. I purposefully chose a female doctor, hoping that she would better understand women’s health. During my first visit, she told me something was definitely wrong.
I share this story to honor American Heart Month and empower other young women to respect their instincts. You know your body best; don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. In a world that so often discredits women’s struggles, it is important to pioneer your own health journey until we can reach a point where health studies prioritize women’s health, too. According to the Columbia University Medical Center, 74% of women have at least one heart disease risk factor, but only 16% were told so by their doctors.
THE FUTURE OF THE FEMALE HEART
Heart Health Month may come once a year, but the gender gap in cardiovascular research costs women their lives every minute. Until women are fully represented in cardiovascular studies, the healthcare system will continue to fail the very people it is meant to protect. The consequences of this gap are measured in lives lost. Until that change happens, women have only one line of defense: trusting themselves. Always listen to your intuition; it saved my life when medical books couldn’t, and it might just save yours, too.