Is Atrial Fibrillation in Women Less Diagnosed?
Posted on October 13th, 2008 by Mellanie
A new study has shed light on gender bias in diagnosing heart disease, which may apply to diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in women as well.
Read: Why Atrial Fibrillation May Be Missed More in Women
After reading the article, please come back here to the Atrial Fibrillation Blog to add your comments and experiences.
WHAT? Now we have to “sell” the doctor on the fact that we may also have a heart problem. No wonder so many of us are stressed. There is a business case here that it sounds like the medical profession is missing. Don’t they know that we women are the ones that get everyone to the doctor? If we die off who are going to get the kids, the parents and the spouses and significant others to go to the doctor? Thanks for this Mellanie! Good info.
I AM LOOKING FOR A CHAT ROOM FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION OR RELATED HEART CONDITIONS… THANK YOU.
Linda,
Amen. I agree with all that you said.
It seems crazy that we have to learn a new way of communicating with our doctors, but if we don’t, we’re the ones that lose. If we come across as emotional or stressed, that may be what we’re diagnosed with, not what we actually have.
Thanks for your comments.
Mellanie
Dovie,
I don’t know of any afib chat rooms (real-time conversations), but there are a number of discussion forums that you can come and go as you please, posting questions, getting answers, and helping others. You’ll find them listed on the right side of this screen, in the Afib Forums section.
Hope this helps.
Mellanie
I stumbled on this blog when a man posed a question about why more women than men have a.fib.
I went for years to an internist who said my irregular heart beat was “no big deal” put me on digoxin and inderal and said I should drink gatorade and not get dehydrated.
Every time I had an episode of a.fib I was in a stressful situation-overwhelmed at work, boss trying to fire me, out of work and feeling desperate. The last episode resulted in a stroke.
When I was growing up, I wasn’t encouraged to be independent and think of myself. Could that selflessnes and insecurity contributed to the development of my condition? Just curious. My daughter has irregular heartbeat and her doctor tells her it’s hormone-related.
Anyone else have this situation?