
Global Cardiology Bodies Overhaul Heart Attack Definition to Close Gender Diagnostic Gap
The Fifth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction, released at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, replaces complex numerical types with three clinical categories: primary, secondary, and procedure-related. A key update introduces sex-specific troponin thresholds to prevent underdiagnosis in women, who often have lower baseline levels. The definition also eliminates the term 'atypical' for women's symptoms, recognizing that chest discomfort is the most common sign for both sexes, while explicitly classifying spontaneous coronary artery dissection as a primary cause.












