from Harvard School of Public Health
Heart disease is a leading cause of death for women and it is largely a myth that women and men experience different symptoms. A study at Harvard School of Public Health suggests women are more likely than men to dismiss pain and, thus, delay getting medical help. The study developed the term, “symptomatic tipping point” to identify the period between symptoms of a heart attack and getting medical attention. Men tend to respond to symptoms faster. Women in the study were one and a half times more likely than men to wait--displaying more of an optimistic bias, feeling that the symptoms would pass and get better on their own. That is a problem, since when someone comes to the hospital with severe or advanced stage of heart attack there are fewer treatment options available.