According to an article titled ‘Why are we still seeing gaps in women’s heart care’ by Hayden E. Klein, published on ‘The American Journal of Managed Care’ on October 15, 2024, women remain underrepresented in heart disease trials, thus affecting the generalizability of findings due to sex-based differences.
For years, women were underrepresented in cardiovascular research, as early trials mostly focused on men, assuming heart disease primarily affected them. In 1977, the Food and Administration (FDA) discouraged including women of childbearing age in clinical trials due to fetal risk concerns, further reducing women’s participation. This resulted in treatments that did not fully account for sex-specific variations in heart disease. In the 1990s, policy shifts by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mandated the inclusion of women in research, a step cemented by the 1993 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act. However, female participation remains low; for instance, only 26% of participants in heart failure studies with reduced ejection fraction were women, limiting the applicability of findings to female patients.
Today, various barriers still affect women’s enrollment in cardiovascular trials. Limited access to trial centers, time constraints from caregiving responsibilities, and logistical issues such as transportation create significant challenges. Additionally women often express greater concern about trial risks, with some research indicating they prefer to make health decisions more collaboratively, influenced by family or health providers.
Addressing these gaps, experts like Dr. Kathryn Lindley advocate for comprehensive strategies that ensure women are included in research, raise awareness about sex-specific cardiovascular risks, and empower women to seek timely care. This approach could improve gender equity in cardiovascular trials and enable more precise, effective treatments for women.
Read more at this link on the American Journal of Managed Care
Summary of article by Deger Kesimoglu, Turkey
