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A Common Misconception - Although Cardiovascular Disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, many women and their physicians still believe that breast cancer causes the most deaths.
Although about 36% of American women will die of heart disease, only 4% know it's the leading cause of death for women, according to a recent survey. In contrast, 40% of women fear dying of breast cancer, even though only 4% actually will die of the disease, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics.
What is Coronary Artery Disease?
Coronary artery disease occurs when plaque builds up along artery walls (a process called atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries"), reducing the flow of blood that nourishes the heart muscle. STATISTICS | REFERENCES | DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT
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1 in 10 American women between the ages of 45 - 64 has some form of heart disease. |
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1 in 4 women in the United States over age 65 has some form of heart disease. |
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A higher percentage of women than men age 50 and older have total blood cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher, a leading cause of heart disease. |
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Women are more likely than men to die of heart attacks within a few weeks after the attack, in part because women have heart attacks later in life than men do. |
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Within 1 year after a heart attack, 38% of women will die (compared with 25% of men). |
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Within 6 years after a heart attack, 35% of women will have another one (compared with 18% of men), and 46% of women will experience heart failure (versus 22% of men). |
References
1. "Coronary Artery Disease," National Women's Health Information Center, October 2002.
2. "Women's Health," National Center for Health Statistics, Sept. 26, 2002.
3. "Study of Women's Awareness of and Attitudes Toward Heart Disease and Stroke," American
Heart Association, 1997.
4. "Coronary Heart Disease," American Medical Women's Association, 2001.
5. "Facts About Women and Heart Disease," American Heart Association, 2002.
6. "Women and Heart Disease," Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, September 2001.
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