Steps are being taken in the right direction to ensure equality in medical research and treatment, but today, there is still a sizeable gap that has major outcomes for women’s health. Let’s take just one example: that of hip replacements. One study found that women with metal hip replacements were 29% more likely than men to experience implant failure, possibly owing to inadequate testing in women and anatomical differences. Another major problem is heart failure, which is the leading cause of death in the US for men and women alike. It wasn’t until 1999 that the American Heart Association recognized that men and women have different symptoms of heart disease than men. Women are also less likely to receive preventive attention and treatment than men because of gender biases.
A Lower Representation in Clinical Trials
As recently as five years ago, women accounted for only 40% of participation in clinical trials for three of the diseases that most affect them—cardiovascular disease, cancer, and psychiatric disorders. This is so despite the fact they represent 51% of the US population, as noted in a 2022 study by Harvard researchers. They are also underrepresented in areas like psychiatry; although they comprise 60% of people with psychiatric conditions, their mean participation in clinical trials stands a 42%. Finally, only 2% of all clinical trials are obstetrical, even though obstetrical complications affect around 33% of women worldwide. There are grave disparities in funding, too. Finally, even when women are included in trials, researchers sometimes neglect to analyze findings by gender.
Treatment Implications
Women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed for heart attacks because their symptoms can be very different from those experienced by men. For instance, while pain in the chest is often the main symptom of a heart attack, women can experience symptoms like nausea and vomiting, jaw pain, difficulty breathing, or tingling in the face. As such, they are sometimes misdiagnosed with conditions such as anxiety. Doctors need to be aware of possible links between these symptoms and heart problems, so they can carry out blood tests and ECGs. If the results of these tests come back normal, an implantable loop monitor can be used to recognize and record unusual activity in the heart. Of course, heart disease is just one of many conditions that are diagnosed and treated based on knowledge of male rather than female anatomy.
Taking Steps Forward
In order to bridge the gender gap, it is vital to undertake more studies on health conditions affecting women more than men and to make gender differences a key component of physicians’ training. Funding inequities must be addressed directly. Disorders that impact more women than men (or solely women) such as migraine, endometriosis, and chronic fatigue syndrome) receive significantly less funding than those affecting men. Undertaking more studies on ideal dosages of medication for women is also key since men’s and women’s respective immune systems are different. Finally, physicians need to be reminded to pay due care to women showing specific symptoms of heart disease. One 2018 study showed that men with chest pain are 2.5 times more likely to be referred to a cardiologist than women after visiting a primary care practice or ambulatory care clinic.
Despite steps taken to narrow the gender health gap, it continues to exist in the areas of research and treatment. Women are underrepresented in clinical trials, and conditions affecting solely (or mainly) women are in sore need of funding. Physicians, too, require better training so that women with symptoms of heart disease are referred quickly to cardiologists, who can recommend optimal preventive and treatment options.
