Changing clinical perspectives on sex and healthcare disparities in ischaemic heart disease

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) has historically been under-researched in women, leading to significant gaps in understanding sex-specific risk factors and outcomes. To address this issue, The Lancet Regional Health-Europe convened experts from a broad range of countries to evaluate sex-related cardiovascular inequalities and propose recommendations to address these disparities. Despite developing IHD a decade later than men, women experience higher mortality rates. Global Burden of Disease data highlight persistent sex differences in IHD mortality, with women showing higher mortality despite lower prevalence. Factors such as psychosocial stress, reproductive health, and physical inactivity disproportionately impact women's cardiovascular health, while caregiving responsibilities and delayed healthcare access further exacerbate these disparities. There is an urgent need to recognize chest pain symptoms in women and to reduce the time lag between symptom onset and hospital presentation. Addressing these gaps requires targeted public health interventions, expanded research, and improved clinical practices, emphasizing equitable healthcare access and greater inclusion of women in clinical trials. Tailoring treatment guidelines to account for sex differences in outcomes could significantly improve survival rates for women with IHD.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
Published
2025-08-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101370
Citations
8
Primary Topic
Sex and Gender in Healthcare
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
15.03
Controls
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article

Changing clinical perspectives on sex and healthcare disparities in ischaemic heart disease

Sabine Oertelt‐Prigione, Angela Maas, Lina Badimón, Edina Cenko et al.
8 citations
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
Sex and Gender in Healthcare
15.03
article

Changing clinical perspectives on sex and healthcare disparities in ischaemic heart disease

Sabine Oertelt‐Prigione, Angela Maas, Lina Badimón, Edina Cenko, Maria Bergami, Raffaele Bugiardini, Guiomar Mendieta, Martha Gulati, Irene Göttgens, Viola Vaccarino, Marija Vavlukis, Béla Péter Merkely, Olivia Manfrini, Maria Dorobanţu, Zorana Vasiljevic-Pokracic
article en
8 citations

Abstract

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) has historically been under-researched in women, leading to significant gaps in understanding sex-specific risk factors and outcomes. To address this issue, The Lancet Regional Health-Europe convened experts from a broad range of countries to evaluate sex-related cardiovascular inequalities and propose recommendations to address these disparities. Despite developing IHD a decade later than men, women experience higher mortality rates. Global Burden of Disease data highlight persistent sex differences in IHD mortality, with women showing higher mortality despite lower prevalence. Factors such as psychosocial stress, reproductive health, and physical inactivity disproportionately impact women's cardiovascular health, while caregiving responsibilities and delayed healthcare access further exacerbate these disparities. There is an urgent need to recognize chest pain symptoms in women and to reduce the time lag between symptom onset and hospital presentation. Addressing these gaps requires targeted public health interventions, expanded research, and improved clinical practices, emphasizing equitable healthcare access and greater inclusion of women in clinical trials. Tailoring treatment guidelines to account for sex differences in outcomes could significantly improve survival rates for women with IHD.

The Lancet Regional Health - EuropeVol. 56
Semmelweis University (HU), Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya (ES), Radboud University Nijmegen (NL), Emory University (US), Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO), Bielefeld University (DE), Hochschule Bielefeld (DE), Hospital de Sant Pau (ES), Radboud University Medical Center (NL), Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (ES), University of Belgrade (RS), University Clinic of Traumatology (AT), Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute (US), PHI University Psychiatric Clinic - Skopje (MK), Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (MK), University of Bologna (IT)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Sex and Gender in Healthcare
15.03
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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