Women get less treatment to prevent heart attack; study

A new study has found that women with coronary artery disease are significantly less likely than men to be treated with medications to prevent heart attacks. As a result, WomenHeart - A US national coalition for women with heart disease - is calling on doctors to take extra precautions to make sure that women are getting the care that they need.

"This study should serve as a wake-up call to doctors and women alike," said Lisa Tate, WomenHeart chief executive, adding: "heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women. Clearly, too [many] women are not getting the medical care that they need."

The study, published this month in the journal Heart, was based on data from 25,755 men and women who had a heart attack or chest pain between 1999 and 2006. All the patients had an angiogram to check for blockages in their heart's blood vessels. Among heart patients, women were significantly less likely than men to receive medications such as beta blockers, statins and ACE inhibitors - which experts say are crucial to preventing further heart problems, the study's authors said. Female patients also were less likely to get treatments to open their blood vessels, the research found.