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in collaboration with
Dr Stéphane Manzo-Silberman (Interventional Cardiologist)
After several months of screenings offered in several French cities, the Women’s Heart Bus is now able to communicate the data collected during its campaign. The figures evoke a crying lack of cardiological follow-up in the female population.
Heart health is also a women’s story. If we have mentioned and recalled it several times at Doctissimo, it is clear that the message must be shared more. Indeed, according to a latest press release from the National Observatory for Women’s Cardiovascular Health established by the Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes endowment fund, a large majority of women at the screening appointment offered by the Bus du cœur n would have no cardiological follow-up, although they would however have several risk factors. A lack of gynecological follow-up is also observed.
79% of women have no cardiological follow-up
The statisticians from the Lille University Hospital therefore went through and analyzed the 4,300 medical records from the Bus du Cœur des Femmes screenings in 2021 and 2022, on women aged 14 to 95, in order to obtain a precise overview. The Observatory noted several lessons, reflections of women’s health today.
- 90% of women on the bus have at least 2 cardiovascular risk factors;
- However, 79% of them have no cardiological follow-up, 12% have no attending physician;
- 51% of women with 2 cardiovascular risk factors also have 2 gyneco-obstetric risk factors, and are therefore at high risk.
The risk is real, hopes to make the Observatory heard: only 10% of the population screened is at very low cardiovascular and gynecological-obstetrical risk. But when a woman has two gynecological risk factors, she almost always has at least two cardiovascular risk factors.
All women are affected by the lack of follow-up
The surprising information also resides in the population targeted by this lack of care: the cardiovascular risk is not as strongly correlated with the level of precariousness as one might imagine. Most women in socio-professional categories considered well-to-do do not have more cardiovascular check-ups. “If we see greater obesity and more smoking among women in vulnerable situations, there is little or no difference in terms of high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, stress, depression and medical follow-up. according to the level of precariousness…” says the press release. All women are therefore affected by this observation.
Cardiovascular risk also linked to hormones
If the press release also makes a link with the lack of gynecological follow-up, it is because the two are closely intertwined, which part of the followed population does not seem to know. Thus many women take estrogen-progestogen contraception that is contraindicated on the cardiovascular or metabolic level (women over 35 or BMI greater than 30 or active smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, etc.)
Also at the age of menopause, information seems to be lacking: among the 66% menopausal women in the panel, a quarter took hormonal treatment for menopause, which reinforces the importance of regular gynecological and cardiovascular monitoring… .Which was not the case.
Awareness work still needed
An observation recognized by Dr. Stephane Manzo Silberman, cardiologist and member of our committee of experts:
“The main message is that the risk factors are indeed present in women, and that these factors are insufficiently detected due to a lack of follow-up and awareness. Even when they are known (such as hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol), they are insufficiently treated. Admittedly, women already need to go to doctors more often, but the general practitioner or gynecologist needs to screen for these risk factors and educate the patient in order to achieve effective follow-up and correction. It’s a whole range of actors that is needed on these easily accessible factors. But there is still a lack of support, which could however correct them.
These risk factors, taken care of, are not inevitable. The Observatory recalls that in 8 out of 10 cases, the onset of the disease can be avoided thanks to active prevention. With a single watchword: ladies, check it out!
The Bus du Coeur des femmes will stop in many more cities in France in 2023.