Evaluating treatment-seeking for acute myocardial infarction in women.

A telephone survey of 349 randomly-selected women living in Greater Vancouver was conducted to assess their understanding of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The results revealed that women have not yet personalized AMI risk information. Participants indicated a need for more information pertaining to symptom recognition for AMI; they were largely unaware that females may experience AMI differently than do males. Participants were less aware of the risks that diabetes, obesity and menopause pose for AMI. Approximately 36% of these women intended to delay treatment-seeking in the presence of suspicious AMI symptoms. One-third or fewer participants would call for an ambulance for the most serious AMI symptoms. Alongside a recent poll result indicating that a large majority of Canadians believe immediate emergency care for chest discomfort and chest pain is unnecessary, these findings are an alert to health care professionals that much work lies ahead in educating the public regarding treatment-seeking for AMI.