In a terrifying study chronicled in the Telegraph, thousands of women apparently die each year due, in part, to the fact that they are too well dressed.
A study of over 15,000 people found that women were only half as likely as men to be checked for signs of heart disease, which many cardiologists believe is due to doctors missing crucial symptoms when their patients appear well-groomed.
"I think doctors -- general practitioners and cardiologists -- often do not realise the risk for women," said lead researcher Dr. Pierre Sabouret. "Too often they will think if a female patient looks healthy, and dresses smartly, and looks after herself, she is probably okay."
It is important to note that the discrepancy is, most prominently, between men and women -- not between well-dressed women and their poorly-dressed counterparts. But the fact of the matter remains that women often alter their appearance with makeup and grooming that make them appear healthier than men.
Sabouret says the study's findings are globally applicable, though specifically prevalent in the U.K., where women are one and a half times likelier than men to suffer a fatal stroke. He recommends more rigorous screening procedures and at-home tests.
We think the lesson here is clear: Wear sweats to your next doctor's appointment.