| Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women. One
in four women dies of heart disease (National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute [NHLBI], 2007). In addition to its fatal consequences,
heart disease can lead to disability and a significantly decreased quality
of life (NHLBI, 2007).
It has been long thought of as primarily affecting men;
however, it is clear that heart disease is an equal opportunity killer.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA) (2004), cardiovascular
disease claims more women's lives per year than the next seven causes
of death combined —over 435,000 lives! That translates to almost
1 death every minute!
Despite the significant threat, for many years many women
did not know that heart disease has been the leading cause of death for
women (NHLBI, 2007). Women, and surprisingly, their healthcare providers
as well, often failed to make the connection between risk factors, such
as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and the chance of developing
heart disease (NHLBI, 2007).
The first AHA national survey in 1997 indicated that only
30 percent of women spontaneously listed heart disease as women's leading
cause of death. By the year 2000, this increased to just 34 percent. However,
in 2006, that figure jumped to 57 percent, a significant improvement (AHA,
2004b). The fact that now one in three die from heart disease, as compared
to one in four in 2004, is believed to be related to an increased awareness
of the significance of heart disease by women. Women are clearly learning
about the threats to their health, but we still have a long way to go.
There are a number of issues that contribute to the continued
impact of cardiovascular disease in the United States, regardless of gender:
access to care, quality of care, aging of the population, explosion in
the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, tobacco consumption
and physical inactivity (Bonow, Smaha, Smith, Mensah, & Lenfant, 2002).
Although heart disease impacts both women and men, current
statistics reveal significant differences between men and women in survival
following a heart attack. For example, 42 percent of women who have heart
attacks die within 1 year compared with 24 percent of men (Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2006).
The reasons for this dramatic difference in percentage
are not well understood. There are some commonly held beliefs: women tend
to get heart disease later in life than do men and they are more likely
to have coexisting, chronic conditions. However, research also has shown
that women may not be diagnosed or treated as aggressively as men, and
their symptoms may be very different from those of men who are having
a heart attack. American Heart Association Guidelines, released in early
2004, provide current “best practice” strategies for the treatment
of heart disease (Mosca, Appel, Benjamin, Berra et al., 2004). For women
who currently have heart disease, these are important treatment guidelines.
However, diseases of the heart need to be reduced through
effective prevention strategies. The hallmark of prevention strategy is
public education. There are a number of national public education campaigns
that have recently been launched in order to educate women and to empower
them to learn about their risk for heart disease.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National
Institutes of Health, and partner organizations are sponsoring a national
campaign called The Heart Truth. The campaign's goal is to give
women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk of heart disease
(NHLBI, 2006a).
The campaign is especially aimed at women ages 40 to 60, the time when
a woman's risk of heart disease starts to rise. But its messages are also
important for all women, since heart disease develops gradually and can
start as early as the teen years, yet taking action to prevent and control
the risk factors can be helpful at any age. Even those who have heart
disease can improve their heart health and quality of life (NHLBI, 2006a).
The American Heart Association has launched Go
Red For Women, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness that heart
disease is women's No. 1 killer and stroke is the No. 3 killer of women.
The American Heart Association has identified red as a symbol for women
and heart disease. Historically, red has also been a color of power. The
hope is that women will take their power and invest it in their own health.
Nurses are key to this effort. As the largest discipline among healthcare
providers, nurses provide, as a core function of the profession, patient
teaching and health education. The “life-style” aspects of
the prevention of heart disease, as well as those aspects and/or the management
of heart disease are widely recognized as responsive to healthcare teaching.
Raising awareness of heart disease in women, teaching and managing prevention
strategies, managing treatment strategies, and providing support throughout
the process can help to limit the human suffering associated with heart
disease. Since nurses work in all aspects of healthcare and see patients
throughout the life cycle, nurses are in a unique position to help to
identify, counsel, and treat heart disease in women.
This course will present an overview of heart disease in women in order
for nurses to better recognize, prevent and manage the number one killer
of women. Nurses can have a significant impact on the health of women.
And because women often present with unique symptoms, and historically,
they have not been treated aggressively for their heart disease, it is
important for nurses to be health advocates for their women patients.
Additionally, since the vast majority of nurses are female, this information
is likely to be useful to nurses for maintaining and managing their own
health.
© 2008 NYSNA, all rights reserved.
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