Women receive poor access to medical care, despite being more prone to heart illness

A study has revealed that though more women than men are prone to heart diseases in India, very of few of them receive medication and care, underlining the gender bias in the country. 

A report in the Times of India said that while more younger women than men were were diagnosed with heart condition, the fairer sex did not receive access  . The average age of women heart patients was 48.9 years old while the average age of men was 51.5 years.

More women were found to have had heart illness. Nearly 62% women had hypertension against 45.6% men, while 39.4% women have diabetes against 35% men and 3.7% women had hyperlipidemia  against 3.1 % men.

But, only 38% of women patients got aspirin against 50.4% of the men. While 47.8% men got beta-blockers as against 36.8% of the women. 

Our findings have significant implications for future health policy regulations in the Indian government's National Rural Health Mission program that has until recently, largely focused on prevention of communicable diseases and maternal and child welfare and education at primary healthcare delivery level," said the study, acknowledging that "gender disparity remains a challenge".

"Cardiovascular disease has been recognized as the biggest killer at the national level, but we need focused programmes and grants for heart disease — more so among women as our study shows", said Dr Prafulla Kerkar, one of the main authors of the study and head of cardiology at KEM Hospital, Parel.

The disparity in receiving treatment is being cited to the culture, religion and social customs with men been given more importance than women.