Difficulties in diagnostics in rhythm disturbances in women
Tomaszuk-Kazberuk, A.
Przeglad Lekarski 71(3): 147-149
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 0033-2240 PMID: 25154211 Document Number: 673002
Available data suggest that there is a disconnect in the way physicians diagnose and treat heart disease in women versus men. Such situation leads to higher cardiovascular risk in women. On the one hand there are no rhythm disturbances exclusively characteristic for females, but on other hand there are important gender-specific pathophysiologic differences in cardiac arrhythmias. Like in many other cardiac diseases in women establishing a proper diagnosis becomes a challenge. A longer time to diagnosis, later referral for invasive procedures has been noted for women probably because they are older and have more comorbidities than men. They wait longer time for ablation despite severe symptoms. To the time of the procedure they use more antyarrhythmic drugs than men. Clinicians should take gender into account as an important factor in diagnostics of arrhythmias. More studies focused on underlying mechanisms of gender differences in arrhythmias are needed to help facilitate diagnosis and to refer women for proper diagnostics and treatment on time.