A UK study published in the Journal of Women’s Health revealed that women are likely to receive a lower level of medical care for the common heart condition angina than men. The research carried out by scientists at the University of Aberdeen looked at 1,162 patients, including 552 women, who were being treated for angina.

One of the reasons may be that when women have angina they are more likely than men to experience ‘atypical’ symptoms. Many women report a hot or burning sensation, or even tenderness to touch, in the back, shoulders, arms or jaw. In many cases they have no chest discomfort at all. Studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, show that twice as many women as men between the ages of 25 and 54 actually get angina. Since angina may show up differently in women than in men, physicians sometimes fail to diagnose it and it can be attributed to musculoskeletal pain or gastrointestinal disturbances. Women having a heart attack can also show atypical symptoms — nausea, vomiting, indigestion, shortness of breath or extreme fatigue, but no chest pain. The UK researchers have called for a campaign highlighting the problem.