Due to an aging population, the absolute number of deaths due to CVD in women is actually increasing. In the year 2000, nearly 30 million American women were older than 50. Because the risk of CVD increases with age, the need for an increased awareness of the importance of CVD is a major public health issue for older women. Physicians can take an assertive role in risk factor intervention and in the acknowledgment of gender differences in the presentation and treatment of CVD in women.
Research shows that primary prevention is the best practical solution.
The challenge is to communicate to your patients the importance of incorporating preventive measures into their lifestyle. The information found here will help you create awareness. CVD ranks first among all disease categories in hospital discharges for women. CVD is a particularly important problem among minority women. The death rate due to CVD is 69 percent higher in black women than in white women.