Heart Disease Biggest Women Killer

A study released by the National Institutes of Health Finds that heart disease is the number one cause of death for American women

 

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States according to the results of a study performed by the National Institutes of Health.

They state that heart disease kills more women than cancer, resulting in two in every five deaths recorded in American women being due to heart disease or stroke.

Many people when asked if heart disease is an American health risk would tell you that men are at much greater risk of developing the condition than women, however this misconception could not be farther from the truth.

"The problem I see is that, yes, women are much more knowledgeable, but they aren't translating that knowledge into action," said Dr. Jennifer Mieres, director of nuclear cardiology and associate professor of clinical medicine at New York University School of Medicine, and a national spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. "That's where the disconnect is."

The American heart association is continuing to promote heart disease education for American women in order for Americans to take the necessary steps to reduce their risk.

"That way, women can increase their thought process about their risk factors," said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at New York University, and medical director of the university's Women's Heart Program. "We still have to get women to take the plunge to personalize it. If you ask the average woman on the street, she will not say, 'It's going to affect me.' "

"Women's symptoms can be more subtle," Goldberg said. "It can be shortness of breath without any chest pain. Some suddenly feel very exhausted with minimal activity. Pain often is felt lower in the chest and mistaken for a stomach problem."

"If you look at statistics of women who've died suddenly of heart attack, two-thirds died before they could reach the hospital," Goldberg said.

Living a healthy lifestyle is a great risk reducer as far as heart disease is concerned. Smoking, drinking, over eating, and a lack of daily exercising are all life choices that can increase one's risk for heart disease.

Source: New York Times

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