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Sex inequalities found in primary care treatment of heart disease

Sex inequalities in ischaemic heart disease in general practice: cross sectional survey

A study in this week's BMJ reports that treatment of heart disease in primary care is systematically biased towards men, despite no suggestion of sex differences in the management of these patients in England's national service framework for coronary heart disease.

Data for over 5,000 men and women with ischaemic heart disease in the Trent health region were analysed. Men were more likely than women to have cardiovascular risk factors and blood cholesterol levels recorded on computer. Although a higher proportion of women had raised cholesterol levels, men were more likely to have a diagnosis of hyperlipidaemia, and take cholesterol lowering drugs.

These differences persist when age and other risk factors are taken into account, say the authors, and suggest a systematic bias towards men compared with women in terms of secondary prevention of ischaemic heart disease.

Contact:

Julia Hippisley-Cox, Senior Lecturer in General Practice, Nottingham University, Nottingham, UK Email: julia.hippisley-cox@nottingham.ac.uk

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