That's the RAD Manual tl;dr

There's some elaboration if you click the link — that's just a snapshot.

Reminds me of this debacle.

the researchers specifically mention that this is a jumping off point and further research is under way. Hopefully some progress is made.

Yeah, I touched on that elsewhere —- the idea of women becoming hysterical is definitely pervasive in society and can keep them from seeking medical care (the belief that no one will take you seriously is a powerful demotivator). That's undeniable and almost certainly a factor with young women who will assume it's…

sometimes being a woman really blows, Huh?

I would say yes (but don't have research to back it up). Women do go to the doctor more often than men but there is also a underlying idea in some people that when women complain about anything they are overreacting and will devolve into tears - it is the same concern that makes us reluctant to complain about things…

It is absolutely true...that's kind of the point.

Women that age blow off visits for a lot of reasons.

Yeah, I got that sense. At first I thought it was genuine confusion because maybe =/= isn't a universal symbol, but fool me once shame on you, fool me four times...

That too. And there are attempts to change that — a lot of new outreach and emphasis on representing all genders and races in future research — but it's going to be a long time before common knowledge catches up. That's why education is so critical here.

I wasn't using the term hysteria. Nor would I. I mentioned it only to refute its use in the headline.

I'm still confused but OK —- I am not concerned with hysteria because it's not an actual condition, I am concerned with hypochondria when people suffer from it or it impairs their access to care.

Yes, well...

Sorry, I'm really confused here. I specifically pointed out in my comment that hypochondria does not equal hysteria (because the latter has not been considered a medical condition for decades). What exactly are you taking issue with?

I'm not?

Ah. So like "suffer in silence" — that's almost certainly how she meant it. In medicine "suffer from X" usually just means to experience it so that was my read. I retract the ETA then.

Karyn, would you consider adding AHA's symptoms of heart attack in women to the post? Confusion about the symptoms is a large part of why women are facing delayed treatment.

Yes. That is likely a significant part of the problem here.

Of note, this (very small) study was based on interviews with women ages 30-55. Specifically young women are likely to delay getting help — possibly because for most women in their 30s heart attacks aren't even a consideration. Women are also more likely in general to have the kind of non specific symptoms that can…