CPR involves oral intervention and chest pressure to pump blood to the brain of those whose hearts stop beating, until a specialized health authority arrives to save them.

What does the study say?

In a study to be presented at a medical conference in Spain but the results have not yet been reviewed, Canadian doctors have sought to understand how resuscitation is different between men and women.

Doctors studied records of cardiac arrests recorded outside hospitals in the United States and Canada between 2005 and 2015, involving about 40,<> patients.

• It was found that 54 percent of patients received cardiac resuscitation from someone on the scene.

• For cardiac arrests recorded in public places, i.e. on the streets, 61 percent of women received resuscitation compared to 68 percent of men.

What does the study indicate?

• Alexis Cornoyer, an emergency physician at Montreal's Sacré Cour hospital who led the study, told AFP that the difference between the two ratios "contributes to the higher mortality rate of women from cardiac arrest".

The Canadian team noted that only about 10 percent of cardiac arrest victims survived outside hospitals.

Researchers tried to find out the underlying reason behind the difference between the two ratios in men and women.

Dr. Cornoy said one hypothesis is that bystanders may be embarrassed by the idea of touching a woman's chest without her consent, noting that age may influence the decision to emergency health intervention.

• The study did not confirm whether age played a role, as women were less likely to receive CPR than men regardless of their age, according to the data collected.

Another explanation for the difference between the two ratios is that cardiac arrest is often considered a health crisis that affects only men.

A study published in The Lancet Digital Health in August found that men and women feel more pain in their chests before suffering a cardiac arrest, while women are more likely to experience shortness of breath.