Greatest Health Threat Largely Overlooked by Northern California Women; Sutter Tracy Community Hospital Launches Outreach Program to Educate, Treat Early
January 2004
Tracy, Calif., Jan. 29, 2004 – More than 80 percent of Northern California women aged 40 to 70 are potentially at risk for a first heart attack, according to a recent study by the not-for-profit Sutter Health network of physicians and hospitals. However, only 30 percent of these same women regarded themselves as at risk. With coronary risk factors like obesity, diabetes and hypertension on the rise, Tracy physicians and nurses are working with their Sutter colleagues to launch today the Women's Heart Advantage, a multi-year outreach and educational program to help women in the north state understand their significant risk, identify warning signs and live heart-healthy lives.
"Our experts are collaborating to create one strong voice to educate women about heart health and encourage them to talk with their doctors," said Dr. Rajiv Punjya, Cardiologist. "An overwhelming number of women right in our backyard don’t realize they’re at risk for a heart attack. Heart disease isn't just a man's disease. It's the number one killer of women."
More women than men have died of heart disease every year since 1984. In Sutter’s random survey of 2,200 Northern California women ages 40 to 70, more than 80 percent of participants self-reported at least one factor that puts them at risk for heart disease. Fifty-nine percent of these women did not perceive themselves to be at risk. Only 8 percent reported no risk factors.
Many women think breast cancer is their greatest health threat, yet more women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, accounts for 43.3 percent of all female deaths. Breast cancer accounts for 4 percent.
Sutter physicians say recognizing the risk is just one component in preventing female deaths from heart disease. Knowing the most common heart attack symptoms for women also is key.
While most men experience chest pain as a warning sign of heart attack, less than 30 percent of women will report chest pain. More common symptoms in women may include discomfort or pain between the shoulder blades, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, indigestion or gas-like pain, and unexplained weakness or fatigue.
"I had a silent heart attack. I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol all of my life but I never had heart disease. I was quickly seen by a local heart doctor and had heart surgery. If I didn't get treated, I wouldn’t be here today. Instead, I have added several years to my life."
The good news is that most risk factors for heart disease can be modified. One of the goals of the Women's Heart Advantage program is to give women the information they need to manage their risk factors and make healthy choices. All women are encouraged to live a heart-healthy life, which includes moderate exercise, stress reduction, quitting smoking, eating the right foods, and regular talks with a physician about family medical history and personal risk factors.
In addition to educating women, heart care experts across the Sutter network are working to ensure that primary care and, emergency room physicians have the same access to the latest information regarding heart disease in women.
Once thought of as a man's disease, heart disease in women can look and act differently. National research indicates that because of these differences, women are less likely to be diagnosed and treated early.
"Our physicians and hospitals are working together to better understand the pathology of the disease in women – how does it present itself and what’s different from what we’ve learned about men," said Cardiologist Rajiv Punjya. "With the right information, we're able to take specific steps to improve education and treatment for our female patients. We're helping provide all our doctors and nurses with the tools they need to better assess each patient’s needs."
Specifically, the Women’s Heart Advantage program at Sutter Tracy Community Hospital includes list components like ongoing physician and nurse education; educational materials for women available in Tracy's primary care physicians' offices; outreach to women through health fairs, and community lectures; focused information available in the community publications of Sutter hospitals and physician organizations; outreach through public media to raise awareness; and availability of online tools including a cardiac risk calculator at www.hearts.sutterhealth.org.