Dr. Antonia Sambola, from the Vall d'Hebron Cardiology Service and an expert on women's cardiovascular health, has led a study that shows that being a woman is a risk factor for acute myocardial infarction with elevation of the ST segment. This research was carried out within the framework of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) and the Foundation for the Improvement of Health Assistance (IMAS Foundation) with other health centers in the State. To do this, all the hospitalizations have been analyzed with this diagnosis between 2005 and 2015 included in the National Health System. Between 2005 and 2015 in the State, the death rate for infarction was 18% in women and 9% in menAnother of the results of the study indicates that, in case of heart attack, women have less primary angioplasty. Specifically, 15% less. Angioplasty is the technique that is carried out to restore circulation in those arteries that have been affected after an infarct. Other study data indicate that women, on average, were 10 years older than men when they had an infarct and had more comorbidities: more hypertension (60% vs. 46%), diabetes (36% vs. 26%), dementia (9% vs. 3%), strokes (3% vs. 2%), disability (3% vs. 2%), heart failure (33% vs. 22%) and renal insufficiency (13% vs. 10%).The reasons that explain why women are at higher risk of dying after an infarct than men, as the Dr Antonia Sambola, from the Cardiology Service, points out "is that women take more time to go to the healthcare system when they have a heart attack. Keep more symptoms like pain, minimize the symptoms, wait to see if the symptoms disappear. For that reason, also partly, less angioplasty is performed, since they arrive too late to obtain benefit from this technique. Likewise, the symptoms are often confused with anxiety. " Therefore, "the differences in the risk of mortality after an infarct between women and men are not due basically to biological causes, but to social factors," says the researcher of the http://en.vhir.org/portal1/grup-equip.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186805&t=Cardiocirculatory%20Pathology Cardiovascular Diseases group of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute.In any case, in the communities in which the Infarct Code exists, like Catalonia, "the mortality figures are a little lower, both in men and women," says Dr. Antonia Sambola, who is also the coordinator of the Women's Group in Cardiology of the SEC-. But we must continue working to reduce this gap in mortality due to infarct between women and men. We have to keep in mind that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the State. "To combat this situation, Dr. Antonia Sambola recommends making population awareness campaigns about the importance of self-care and cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in women. "It is necessary to clarify that the women who suffer a myocardial infarct can present the same typical symptoms that the men. In addition, they may perceive other, not so characteristic additional symptoms such as dizziness, tiredness, excessive sweating, feeling of lack of air, nausea and vomiting ... ". Finally, the cardiologist considers that "it is necessary to train professionals so that they can establish the diagnosis of heart attack in women more precociously".