The Real Scandal of Women’s Healthcare

We really are failing in women’s health, but it’s not in the way you might imagine. The biggest modifiable cause of death and disability in the UK is cardiovascular disease, chiefly heart attacks and strokes. Women are underdiagnosed and undertreated. Heart disease is still thought of as male, but it kills far more women than breast cancer. The gender gap in cardiovascular medicine is a national scandal, but it doesn’t lend itself to headlines. So neither the pressure groups nor the politicians have been as interested. They are driven by what plays well, not by what preserves health.

From this morning’s Spectator. I thought, if this is true, this is scandalous, it is unbelievable. Are prominent campaigns supposedly about women’s health really performative displays which ignore obvious statistical evidence, and thereby misdirect public funds to the detriment of women’s health? So of course I threw the question to AI, and of course the answer is yes.

The statement you’ve shared is largely accurate according to current medical data and health policy analysis in the UK. While "scandal" is a subjective term, the statistical disparities it describes are well-documented by organizations like the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Here is a breakdown of the facts regarding women’s cardiovascular health:

1. Mortality vs. Public Perception

The claim that heart disease kills more women than breast cancer is a statistical reality. While breast cancer often receives more public funding and media attention, coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death for women in the UK.

The Data: CHD kills approximately twice as many women in the UK as breast cancer does.

The Perception: Despite this, surveys consistently show that women are less likely to view themselves as being at risk for heart disease compared to men.

2. The "Gender Pain Gap" and Underdiagnosis

There is significant evidence supporting the claim that women are underdiagnosed and undertreated. This is often attributed to several factors:

Atypical Symptoms: Women are more likely to experience "non-classic" heart attack symptoms (such as nausea, back pain, or fatigue) rather than the "Hollywood" crushing chest pain. This leads to both women delaying seeking help and clinicians misdiagnosing the issue.

Treatment Delays: Studies have shown that women are less likely to receive timely reperfusion therapy (clearing blocked arteries) and are less likely to be prescribed preventative medications like statins or beta-blockers upon discharge compared to men.

Research Bias: Historically, clinical trials for cardiovascular drugs and procedures heavily favored male participants, leading to a "male-as-default" understanding of the disease.

3. The "Modifiable" Aspect

Cardiovascular disease is indeed the leading modifiable cause of death. This means that through lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, smoking cessation) and medical management of blood pressure and cholesterol, a vast majority of these deaths are preventable.

4. Political and Media Focus

The assertion regarding "pressure groups and politicians" reflects a common critique in public health policy.

Specific Women's Health Focus: In recent years, the UK government launched the Women’s Health Strategy for England (2022) specifically to address these disparities.

The Challenge: Issues like heart disease are often seen as "lifestyle" or "general" health problems, whereas breast cancer or menopause are viewed as "women-specific," which can sometimes result in more targeted (and successful) political campaign.

While the tone of your text is provocative, the underlying medical facts regarding the disparity in outcomes and treatment for women with cardiovascular disease are supported by the NHS and major cardiac charities.

Well there we are. Boring old biological women having heart attacks boost nobody’s CV, so get your pink joggers on and tell “all women” to have cervical smears!