Why are we making a strong commitment to women’s health?
Because the value of diagnostics and taking care of health shouldn’t just be during pandemics.
Because we know women are always taking care of someone other than themselves
Because it’s OK if you put yourself first
It’s time we lean into biological differences to better understand women’s health and account for women’s clinical characteristics and personal needs.
It’s time for women to take charge of their health.
As a world leader in diagnostics and healthcare, we have a responsibility to act, and to help put the healthcare needs of women firmly in the spotlight.
How is your Heart? Reference: https://globalhearthub.org/hf-patient-guide/
Specialists say that between 1 in 50 and 1 in 100 adults have heart failure. Yet heart failure is often not noticed or is misdiagnosed. So, these figures are likely to be underestimates. In some cases, heart failure can take up to five years to be diagnosed. The delays in diagnosis can be especially long for young people with heart failure. Heart failure can happen at any age but is more common as we get older. Other conditions or comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), can cause heart failure. People today are now more likely to develop comorbidities and survive with them for longer.
What does my Heart Do?
The heart is a pump that pushes blood around the body. Blood carries oxygen, nutrients, cells and antibodies that fight infection to every part of your body.
Blood also helps control body temperature and brings waste to the kidneys and liver for disposal.
Typical
signs and symptoms
of heart failure
Here are the typical signs and symptoms of heart failure. You will probably not have all of these. Your signs and symptoms and how bad they are may change during your heart failure journey.
If you have any of these signs and symptoms, make sure you mention them to your care team:
A DRY COUGH
BLOOD PRESSURE
HEPATOJUGULAR REFLUX
(neck veins swell when the doctor applies
pressure over the liver)
INCREASED PRESSURE
in the jugular vein
INCREASED TROUBLE SLEEPING
BREATHLESSNESS
with activity, when resting or
when you can’t lie flat comfortably
ORTHOPNOEA
(breathlessness when lying, which improves
when sitting or standing)
PAROXYSMAL NOCTURNAL DYSPNOEA
(breathlessness that wakes you up)
DISCOMFORT OR SWELLING IN THE TUMMY
(ABDOMEN) OR LOWER BODY
LOSING YOUR APPETITE
TIREDNESS
LESS ABLE TO EXERCISE
(reduced exercise tolerance)
and taking longer to recover after exercise
FATIGUE
(constant tiredness or weakness
that is not relieved by sleep) and tiredness
HEART BEATS
LATERALLY DISPLACED APICAL IMPULSE
The point where the pulse can be felt at the top of the heart through the chest seems to be in the wrong place
AN EXTRA SOUND
during heart beat when listened to using a stethoscope (third heart sound)
NEW OR WORSENING
DIZZINESS, CONFUSION,
SADNESS OR DEPRESSION
SUDDEN WEIGHT GAIN
More than 2-3 lbs (1-1.5kg) in 24 hours
or 5lb (2.25 kg) in a week
INCREASED SWELLING OF
YOUR LEGS, ANKLES OR FEET
Stages of Heart Failure
Breaking the heart failure journey into four stages shows how heart failure may progress. People at risk Stage A can change things to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Once heart disease develops Stage B, treatment aims to prevent heart failure.
In people with heart failure symptoms Stage C and advanced heart failure Stage D, treatment aims to alleviate symptoms, improve the ability to do everyday activities and reduce the risk of death
Stage A at-risk for heart failure
Stage B pre-heart failure
– Structural heart disease – Evidence of increased filling pressures
persistently elevated cardiac troponin in the absence of
competing diagnoses
Stage C symptomatic heart failure
Stage D advanced heart failure
despite attempts to optimize guideline-directed medical theraphy
‘The misdiagnosis risk of a heart attack is 50% higher in women’:
The signs and symptoms of a heart attack often present differently in women than in men, which leads to delayed or inaccurate diagnosis. Women are also more likely to hold off making a doctor’s appointment after developing symptoms, sometimes waiting for months. The consequences are dire. For example, in the UK alone, women had more than double the rate of death in the 30 days following a heart attack.Improved education on signs and symptoms specific to women, and greater awareness of these differences is critical to addressing these issues and creating better health outcomes for women. Source “Wu J et al.,2018”
In ¾ of cases, diseases that affect primarily women are underfunded compared to diseases that affect primarily men:
Gender bias in healthcare is also reflected in the frequent discrimation in research funding. For instance, the U.S. Government invested $276.5 million in ovarian cancer research over a 25-year period, while granting $1.53 billion – five and a half times more – to prostate cancer research over that same period. Furthermore, less than 2.5% of publicly funded research has been dedicated exclusively to reproductive health despite the fact that one in three women will experience severe reproductive health issues in their lifetime. This research imbalance leads to a lack of understanding and consideration for women’s health issues and exacerbates the gender disparities in healthcare. Source: Mirin AA, 2021
Women with type 1 diabetes are 37% more likely to die from secondary complications than men:
Diabetes can cause very serious secondary complications – including heart disease, stroke and kidney disease – which greatly increase the risk of premature mortality in people with diabetes. However, the chances of dying from these complications are 37 % higher for women with type 1 diabetes than men! While this is in part due to physiological tendencies, the more alarming issue is that women continue to receive less intensive treatment for diabetes than their male counterparts. There is a huge gap in our scientific understanding of how diabetes affects men and women’s bodies differently which requires further research. In addition, we urgently need to investigate and remove the barriers preventing women with diabetes from getting adequate healthcare. Source: Huxley RR et al.; 2015, Kapur A, Seshiah V; 2017
1.4 million people die from cardiovascular diseases in the Middle East
The total number of CVD deaths has risen by 48% in the last 30 years
The burden of obesity in the region more than doubled between 2000 and 2019
Whether it’s your first time ever to a doctor's office. or the first time in a while, we understand it can be daunting. In the guides below, we offer you some ideas to make it easier and more comfortable for you.
It s time to take charge of your health!
Click to download the PDFBefore your appointment 
Download
1Consider bringing a friend or family member for the visit if you are not sure how to explain your physical problem correctly, if you are forgetful or fluster easily it’s important to take an active role when talking with your physician.
2Write down a list of questions related to your most pressing concerns about your symptoms or condition before you visit your doctor. This can also help maximize your visit and the time used describing your symptoms.
3Take some time to read about the physicians you’re interested in. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can always consider another one.
During your appointment Download
1Tell your doctor how your symptoms feel. For example, if you’re experiencing headaches, use descriptive words like sharp, dull, stabbing, or throbbing. You can use these kinds of terms to describe many physical symptoms.
2Explain to or show your doctor the exact location where which you’re experiencing your symptoms. You want to be as specific as possible so say "the front of my kneecap is swollen and has throbbing pain" instead of something general like "I have pain in my leg." You should also note if the symptoms extend to another location.
3Mention how long you’ve had your symptoms. The more specific date you can pinpoint, the easier it may be for your doctor to figure out what is causing your symptoms.
4Note how frequently you have or notice symptoms. This information can also help your doctor figure out what’s causing your symptoms.
5Be honest about your symptoms. There is nothing you should ever feel embarrassed about with a doctor.
Asking questions is one of the best ways to ensure you and your doctor are on the same page
What are the different treatment options?
How will I hear about my test results?
What are the next steps?
Is there anything I should do/change while I’m waiting for results?
This is important, so you don’t find yourself wondering at home... What happens next?
After your appointment Download
Tell your doctor how your symptoms feel. For example, if you’re experiencing headaches, use descriptive words like sharp, dull, stabbing, or throbbing. You can use these kinds of terms to describe many physical symptoms.
