New heart attack definition promises better care for women

Doctors have agreed the world’s first universal definition of a heart attack, paving the way for millions of women to finally receive better treatment after decades of being “deprioritised”.

In one of the biggest procedural shake-ups in a generation, the world’s four leading cardiovascular health groups have signed off on new guidance for healthcare professionals when seeing suspected heart attack patients.

Historically, some less common forms of heart attack, which evidence shows typically affect women far more than men, have been coded as less important, with treatment and care often worse as a result.

Until now, experts said, women had been getting less effective treatments, which did not always target the specific cause of their heart attack and could even make them more unwell.

The new guidance will upgrade three types of attack that are up to 10 times more common in women and often caused by childbirth, exercise and emotional stress.

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Source: The Guardian, 28 August 2026

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