Key result
Women experienced greater challenges receiving a timely atrial fibrillation diagnosis, with 77% experiencing symptoms for at least one year prior to diagnosis compared to 23% of men.
Why the study?
Despite the increasing prevalence of AF, there remains a limited understanding of how the pre-diagnosis symptom experience varies by gender.
How does the pre-diagnosis symptom experience of atrial fibrillation vary by gender?
Observational (n=26)
Yes
How does the pre-diagnosis symptom experience of atrial fibrillation vary by gender?
Women experience significantly longer delays in atrial fibrillation diagnosis and report more severe symptoms compared to men, highlighting a need for improved gender-specific awareness and evaluation.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Women may experience delayed AF diagnosis from atypical symptoms; leaves open need for prospective studies on gender-tailored recognition strategies.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the world. Despite the increasing prevalence, there remains a limited understanding of how the pre-diagnosis symptom experience varies by gender. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively explore gender differences/similarities in the pre-diagnosis period of AF. Twenty-six adults (13 men and 13 women) were interviewed guided by the Symptom Experience in AF (SEAF). Data were analyzed using a two-step approach to thematic analysis. Women had greater challenges receiving a timely diagnosis, with 10 women (77%) experiencing symptoms ≥1 year prior to their diagnosis, in comparison to only three (23%) of the men. Women also reported more severe symptoms, less AF-related knowledge, viewed themselves as low risk for cardiovascular disease, and described how their comorbid conditions confused AF symptom evaluation. This study provides a foundational understanding of differences/similarities in the AF symptom experience by gender.
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Wilson et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Atrial fibrillation (n=26). Female gender vs. Male gender was evaluated on Experiencing symptoms ≥1 year prior to diagnosis. Women experienced greater challenges receiving a timely atrial fibrillation diagnosis, with 77% experiencing symptoms for at least one year prior to diagnosis compared to 23% of men.
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