Swiss men more likely to survive heart attack than women

Swiss men are more likely to survive a cardiac arrest than women Keystone-SDA

In Switzerland, women have a worse chance of surviving a cardiac arrest than men. Women are less likely to be admitted to intensive care units and to receive advanced treatment, a new study shows.

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Researchers from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have analysed data from around 42,000 patients who suffered a cardiac arrest throughout Switzerland. The data was collected between 2008 and 2022.

Overall, women who survived a cardiac arrest had a higher risk of dying later on compared to men, as the results published in the journal Critical Care show. While almost 42% of women died, only 36% of men did not survive.

Unconscious thought patterns

Women were 18% less likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit. Invasive treatments such as cardiac catheterisation were also performed less frequently in women than in men. While around 45% of women were examined or treated with such invasive methods, the figure for men was 54%.

The authors cite various reasons for this disparity. These include biological differences, socio-cultural factors and unconscious thought patterns that favour men.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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