By Jane Collingwood
Not enough research is done into heart disease in women, experts will tell a major European conference this week.
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death for women around the world. The total number killed, more than 8.6 million, is greater than that from cancer, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.
But Professor Stramba Badiale of the Italian Auxological Institute in Milan, says the risk for women is largely underestimated, by both the general population and often by the medical profession itself.
He explains that women usually suffer from cardiovascular disease when they are about ten years older than the typical age for men. Their risk rises after menopause, when hormone levels can increase the chance of high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, central obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
This subject will be covered at a European heart conference later this week. The ‘Red Alert for Women’s Hearts’ conference takes place on November 5 at the European Heart House, Sophia Antipolis, France.
Professor Badiale carried out a recent study showing that women are under-represented in heart disease research.
He said: "In the 62 randomised clinical trials published between 2006 and July 2009, only 33.5 per cent of enrolled participants were women."
President of the European Society of Cardiology, Professor Roberto Ferrari, commented: "We do lack data for women simply because the majority of clinical trials are conducted on men.
"It is important to have special clinical trials conducted only on women because their cardiovascular pathology is, at least at some point during their lives, different from that of men and it is incorrect to apply data derived from studies on men to women."
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