Newswise — Only a few years ago, most of what we knew about heart disease, the number one killer of women, came from studies in men. More recent research, though, is uncovering new information about the sex differences in heart disease. Here are some of those findings, from the February issue of the Harvard Women's Health Watch:
"¢ The oft-used risk-assessment tool based on information from the Framingham Heart Study may fall short in identifying some women at high risk. Harvard Women's Health Watch reports that out of a group of nearly 2,500 women over age 45 with no symptoms of heart disease, 20% showed signs of advanced atherosclerosis on electron beam CT scans — yet the Framingham method had rated 94% of these advanced cases at low heart risk.
"¢ Other studies point to fitness — not necessarily weight — as a guide to heart risk in women. Researchers at the University of Florida found that women with low fitness scores had a higher rate of heart attack, stroke, and death than those with normal fitness, regardless of weight. Harvard Women's Health Watch concludes that this adds to the already abundant evidence that exercise is the single most important thing women can do for heart health.
"¢ A study of more than 1,500 heart attack patients in Michigan found that women got to the hospital about 20 minutes later than men did and had to wait longer for treatment — circumstances that can increase the extent of heart damage. One reason for the delay, says Harvard Women's Health Watch, is that women may not experience stereotypical chest pressure and pain. Therefore, a woman may not think she's having a heart attack, and hospital personnel may not recognize her symptoms as those of a heart attack.
Also in this month's issue:* Treating rheumatoid arthritis * Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder* High homocysteine levels and fracture risk * A doctor answers: What does Indolplex do? And, Which calcium supplement is better for older women?
Harvard Women's Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $24 per year. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/women or by calling 1-877-649-9457 (toll free).
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