Higher mortality in younger women with heart attacks

Today it is reported that younger women who suffer heart attacks are more likely than men to die as a result. Women often do not present with the ‘typical’ and well recognised symptoms and as a result there is a suspicion that there is a misdiagnosis or a failure to diagnose and potentially life saving treatment is either delayed or not given at all.

Trefine Maynard, a solicitor specialising in medical negligence cases at Ashtons Legal, says that it is always immensely sad when the signs of heart problems are missed by the medical profession resulting in avoidable death. “We have had a number of cases where patients have been misdiagnosed and the underlying heart problems either missed altogether or not recognised until too late. Heart attacks are one of the biggest killers in this country yet in many cases early recognition and treatment can lead to life saving treatment. It is tragic when a family are left mourning the loss of someone who could and should have been correctly diagnosed and treated, and would then have survived“.

There are increasing treatment options available to medical professionals, but, as always, if the initial diagnosis is missed or a misdiagnosis is made then the consequences can be devastating.