LINES WILL BE LESS. >> NO, NO, THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE PACKED OUT THERE. >> GOING TO BE BAD. >> ALL RIGHT. >> ALL RIGHT. SO WHEN IT COMES TO CARDIAC CARE, DOCTORS SAY WOMEN ARE AT A DISTINCT DISADVANTAGE. >> THEY REALLY ARE. AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE INCLUDED IN THINGS LIKE RESEARCH, LESS LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH HEART PROBLEMS, ALSO LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE TREATMENT. SO WE'RE BRINGING IN DOCTOR FRANK MCGEORGE TONIGHT HERE WITH A VERY LATEST STUDY THAT FINDS THE INEQUITY DOES NOT STOP THERE. DOC. >> EXACTLY. KAREN AND IMAN. RESEARCH BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FINDS EVEN WHEN WOMEN UNDERGO HEART SURGERY, THEY OFTEN RECEIVE LESS AGGRESSIVE CARE. THEY'RE ALSO MORE OFTEN RECEIVING THAT CARE AT HOSPITALS OF LOWER QUALITY. EACH DAY, THOUSANDS OF OPEN HEART SURGERIES ARE PERFORMED ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. DURING MANY OF THOSE OPERATIONS, DOCTORS MAY FIND A SECONDARY ISSUE IN THE HEART THAT THEY'LL FIX AT THE SAME TIME. BUT NATIONAL STUDIES FROM U OF M FIND WOMEN ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LIKELY TO GET THOSE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS FIXED. DOCTOR KATIE WAGNER, WHO LED THE RESEARCH, SAYS THIS GOES AGAINST SURGICAL GUIDELINES THAT WE FOUND WOMEN ARE LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE THESE GUIDELINE RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES HIGHLIGHTS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS WOMEN RECEIVE WHEN UNDERGOING HIGH RISK HEART SURGERY. WOMEN ALSO FACE HIGHER RISKS DURING HEART BYPASS SURGERY. >> THERE'S OVER 100,000 HEART BYPASS SURGERIES EVERY YEAR, AND DESPITE HOW COMMON THIS IS, WOMEN HAVE A 30 TO 40% HIGHER RISK OF DYING AFTER HEART SURGERY THAN MEN. AND THAT'S A GAP THAT HASN'T NARROWED IN DECADES. SO ONE OF MY STUDIES TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S CAUSING THIS GAP WAS LOOKING AT THE HOSPITALS THAT WOMEN RECEIVE THEIR HEART SURGERY AT, AND WE FOUND THAT WOMEN WERE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO LOW QUALITY HOSPITALS, WHERE THEY HAD A MUCH GHER RISK OF DYING. >> WAGNER SAYS A LACK OF RESEARCH IS A KEY FACTOR FOR THE DISPARITIES. >> SO MUCH OF THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE IN HEART DISEASE HAS BEEN STUDIED IN MEN AND JUST APPLIED TO WOMEN, SO HEALTH SYSTEMS REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN RESEARCH IN WOMEN, IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, TO ENSURE WE'RE PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY CARE. AND THAT WILL REALLY IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR ALL OF OUR PATIENTS. >> NOW, THE ISSUE ALSO CROSSES OVER TO MEDICAL TREATMENT, WHERE WOMEN ARE LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE GUIDELINE DIRECTED THERAPY FOR A HEART ATTACK, FOR EXAMPLE. >> ALL OF THIS REALLY HIGHLIGHTS HOW MUCH ROOM THERE IS TO IMPROVE WOMEN'S CARE, SIMPLY BY DOING WHAT IS ALREADY BEING PROVIDED TO MEN. >> SO THIS IS A LOT ABOUT THE HOSPITAL SIDE. >> WHAT ABOUT THE PATIENT SIDE? WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING? WELL, THAT'S THAT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT. >> AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WOMEN WITH HEART TROUBLE, THEY ARE OFTEN REFERRED FOR CARE LATER AND WHEN THEY'RE SICKER. SO IF YOU SUSPECT SOMETHING IS WRONG, YOU REALLY NEED TO PUSH TO GET TO THAT SPECIALIST. IF YOUR DOCTOR ISN'T TAKING YOUR SYMPTOMS SERIOUSLY, YOU NEED TO FIND A DOCTOR THAT'S GOING TO TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. AND BE SURE THAT YOU'RE GETTING REGULAR CHECKUPS. BECAUSE WOMEN HAVE A HABIT OF PUTTING THEIR OWN HEALTH LAST. BUT THAT ALSO PUTS