Women are more likely to be told that they’re imagining signs of life-threatening ailments and less likely to receive proper treatment. This is particularly true in those with cardiovascular disease—the number one killer of women in the United States. The symptoms of a heart attack are different in men and women, with women often experiencing subtler signs that tend to be dismissed by doctors.
Feeling dizzy and “off,” Edna Haber went to her cardiologist, Nieca Goldberg, MD, who is also medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health. Although initial tests yielded normal results, Dr. Goldberg continued to pursue symptoms. She discovered Haber’s heart was failing and quickly installed a pacemaker. Dr. Goldberg says she often sees women patients whose concerns have been dismissed by other doctors. “For a long time, research was really lagging because they didn’t even think women could be at risk for heart disease,” Dr. Goldberg tells the New York Post. Dr. Goldberg urges all doctors to take women patients’ concerns seriously.
