      |
 |
 |
 |
      |
 |
 |
You and Your Heart
Change Text Size:
You and Your Heart
Often incorrectly called "a man's disease," heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease (which includes heart attack and stroke), claims the lives of 504,000 women in the United States every year. That's more than the next 16 causes of death combined, including breast cancer.
Heart attacks alone kill almost 250,000 women each year, and women under age 50 who have had heart attacks are twice as likely to die from them as men in the same age group.
Experts believe that one of the major reasons women are less likely to recover from heart attacks is because until recently, treatment and diagnosis of heart disease in women was based on what doctors knew about men. As a result, women were diagnosed on average later than men, limiting their treatment options.
Now armed with specific information about women's heart disease, the hospitals and clinics of the HealthEast Care System are actively educating women at risk with information that will empower them to take charge of their own heart health. By tailoring our approach to women's needs, our goal is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of women throughout the communities we serve.
