'It almost cost me my life': Women wait twice as long as men for heart failure diagnosis

Kerry woman, Pauline O’Shea, described her heart now as “the heart of an older person”, leaving the mother of three unable to return to work

Pauline O'Shea from Kerry who suffered a delayed diagnosis with a heart condition. Photo: Irish Heart Foundation

Women in Ireland wait nearly twice as long as men to receive heart failure diagnosis, and for Pauline O’Shea the wait almost cost her life.

The first survey of heart failure patients has found “a significant gender gap”, with women, on average, waiting five weeks for a formal diagnosis of heart failure compared to a three-week wait for men.