FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2010

Media Contact:

Lisa Clough

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

Direct: 202.464.8734

Email: lclough@womenheart.org

Washington, DC -- Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2010 Update (American Heart Association, December 17, 2009) has been issued just in time for American Heart Month, and the news is sobering. Despite the fact that there may be broader awareness in the population about women's heart disease, there are still disparities in how women are diagnosed and treated, translating into more than 42 million women currently living with or at risk for heart disease in the United States.

According to the report, one woman dies every minute from cardiovascular disease (CVD), citing a total of 432,709 female deaths in 2006 — more than the combined deaths from all cancers, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer's disease, and accidents. Of clear concern are the rates of overweight, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, all key contributors to heart disease. Although there was a higher percentage — 57% — of awareness among women of CVD being the leading cause of death among women than in recent surveys, the percentage of African-American and Hispanic women was still low and unchanged. Hispanic women also reported that there was "nothing they can do to keep themselves from getting CVD."

"WomenHeart encourages all women to take charge of their heart health. It is important for women to learn their risk for heart disease, know how to live a heart healthy lifestyle, and recognize the signs and symptoms of heart disease in the event she needs evaluation and treatment," said Lisa M. Tate, Chief Executive Officer of WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

On the bright side, in a national survey of women of all races, the number of women who identified CVD as the leading cause of heart disease has almost doubled since 1997 — although the rate of awareness was higher in white women than in black and Hispanic women. Respondents to the survey also cited confusion about "basic prevention strategies." Indications are that there is more work to do to make sure that all women, regardless of race, have clear and current information about heart disease, including how to take preventative measures to help avoid developing CVD.

Some key statistical updates from the report include:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women, killing more than a third of them.
• More women than men die of heart disease each year.
• 35.3% of deaths in American women over the age of 20, or more than 432,000, are caused by cardiovascular disease each year.
• More than 200,000 women die each year from heart attacks- nearly five times as many women as breast cancer.
• Women are less likely than men to receive appropriate treatment after a heart attack.
• Women compromise only 27% of participants in all heart-related research studies.
• 58% of Caucasian women, 80% of African-American women, and 74% Hispanic-American women are overweight or obese.
• Women with diabetes are 2.5 times more likely to have heart attacks.
• 48% of adult women have total cholesterol of at least 200mg/dL.
• 50% of Caucasian women, 64% of African-American women, 60% of Hispanic women, and 53% of Asian/Pacific Islander women are sedentary and get no leisure time physical activity.
• African-American women, despite their higher risk of heart disease, were 10% less likely to receive aspirin and 27% less likely to receive cholesterol-lowering drugs.
• Some medications to treat hypertension in African-American patients work better and some work worse compared to Caucasian patients.
• Among African-American women over the age of 20, 44.8% have high blood pressure.
• Compared with Caucasian women, Hispanic women are nearly three times as likely to be uninsured.
• Prevalence for diabetes in Mexican-American women is two times higher than Caucasian women.

Click here for the full report.

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease WomenHeart is the nation's only patient advocacy organization serving the 42 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease – the number one killer of women.  WomenHeart is solely devoted to advancing women's heart health through advocacy, community education, and the nation's only patient support network for women living with heart disease.  WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, physicians, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. Take charge of your heart health and get your free women's heart health action kit at www.womenheart.org/kit.

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