The release of a study by Dr. Paul Dorian involving 294 patients with atrial fibrillation opened a North American meeting of heart-rhythm specialists Wednesday. The women in the study were as healthy as the men, but their quality of life suffered more, said Dorian, an associate professor at the University of Toronto. Both women and men get shortness of breath, palpitations and fatigue. Women are also more likely to need treatment or take time off work, said Dorian, a cardiologist at St. Michael's Hospital. The malfunction in the upper-heart chamber produces an irregular beat.
Stroke is a real concern.
Treatment includes medication, surgery and possibly a pacemaker. Traditionally, heart disease has been dubbed a men's health problem, because men tend to be diagnosed at a younger age than women. But heart problems remain the top killer of both sexes in North America. So researchers are increasingly probing how the disease affects women, especially as they age and start losing the protective effects of estrogen. Mass. Dorian's survey of 172 men and 122 women with atrial fibrillation found women are in greater need of social and other support.