Women account for nearly half of cardiovascular disease deaths in the United States but have historically been underrepresented in the clinical trials that established treatment guidelines and drug dosing standards. A comprehensive review published in JAMA Cardiology found that women comprised only 38 percent of participants in major cardiovascular trials and only 27 percent in trials specifically studying heart attack interventions.
The research gap has direct clinical consequences. Women having heart attacks are diagnosed and treated an average of 47 minutes later than men in emergency settings, and women are significantly less likely to receive evidence-based medications including statins, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors following cardiac events. National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association diversity and inclusion requirements for funded research are beginning to close the data gap, but implementation across established clinical practice will take years.
