These symptoms can be easily overlooked or misinterpreted, not out of neglect, but because they often don’t manifest in a way that immediately signals a cardiovascular issue during a doctor’s visit.

Doctors are deeply committed to providing the best care possible, but they face challenges when symptoms like arrhythmias and murmurs aren’t present during a clinical examination. These conditions can be elusive, especially when they occur intermittently or without the more overt signs that prompt immediate concern. This can make it difficult for healthcare providers to diagnose conditions that might otherwise be clear if the symptoms could be observed directly in real-time.

The statistics are stark: women with cardiovascular disorders are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed or undertreated than men, leading to significantly higher mortality rates. Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is particularly concerning for women, who face a higher risk of stroke, heart failure, and even sudden cardiac death compared to men with the same condition. Studies have shown that women with new-onset AF are at a two-fold higher risk of death, a four-fold higher risk of stroke, and a fourteen-fold higher risk of congestive heart failure. Early detection of such arrhythmias is crucial, yet their episodic nature makes them challenging to diagnose during a routine doctor’s visit.

The emergence of home-based auscultation technology offers a promising solution. By enabling women to monitor their heart health at home, especially during symptomatic episodes, this technology provides critical data that can help bridge the gap between a patient’s experience and the clinical setting. For instance, using smartphones as medical-grade stethoscopes allows women to record heart sounds when they notice something unusual, giving doctors the information they need to make more accurate and timely diagnoses.

This approach empowers women to take an active role in their heart health while supporting doctors in their efforts to provide the best care. By integrating home-based auscultation into everyday life, women can help ensure that their symptoms are captured and considered, leading to more effective treatment and better overall outcomes in managing cardiovascular disease. With this technology, we can work towards reducing the disparities in diagnosis and treatment, ultimately improving survival rates and quality of life for women at risk of CVD.

References

1. Women with cardiovascular disorders are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed or undertreated than men: British Heart Foundation briefing. Bias and Biology. How the gender gap in heart disease is costing women’s lives. https://www.bhf.org.uk/-/media/files/heart-matters/bias-and-biology-briefing.pdf
2. Women with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) face a two-fold higher risk of death, a four-fold higher risk of stroke, and a fourteen-fold higher risk of congestive heart failure: Conen D, Chae CU, Glynn RJ, Tedrow UB, Everett BM, Buring JE, et al. Risk of death and cardiovascular events in initially healthy women with new-onset atrial fibrillation. JAMA 2011;305(20):2080-7.