Women Are 27% Less Likely Than Men to Receive Angioplasties

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association recently conducted an analysis on gender disparities in post-heart attack treatment. Here are some key findings from the report:

·         Women are 27% less likely than men to receive angioplasties to open arteries following a heart attack.

·         Coronary bypass surgery was 38% less likely to be performed on women following a heart attack than men.

·         Women were nearly 5% less likely to receive coronary angiography post-heart attack.

·         0.73 out of every 1,000 women experienced a heart attack compared to 1.95 per 1,000 men.

·         Women are more likely than men to die within one year of a heart attack.

·         Heart attack risk is 3x higher for women in Kentucky and Ohio than Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming.

Source: Blue Cross Blue Shield, September 29, 2015