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-------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Women: Cardiovascular Disease Greater Risk Factor For Death Than Cancer -------------------------------------------------------------------------- WESTPORT, Sep 10 (Reuters) - In a national survey of 1,000 women who were 25 years or older, only 8% viewed heart disease and stroke as the No. 1 threat to health. Sixty-one percent felt cancer was the biggest threat to health, even though twice as many women die from cardiovascular disease as from all forms of cancer, according to the AHA. This has Dr. Martha N. Hill, president of the American Heart Association (AHA), concerned. "That women of all ages and ethnic background don't fear heart disease and stroke in the same way that they fear cancer is a major public health problem, because it means that they may not be doing everything they can to prevent cardiovascular disease," she said in an AHA press release. Dr. Hill would like to see gynecologists pay more attention to the cardiovascular system, since many women consider an ob/gyn as the primary care provider. "If gynecologists would include assessments of heart disease and stroke risk as part ot their routine examinations, it would be an enormous public health boon," she said. The American Heart Association announced the results of the survey at a press conference held Tuesday in Washington, DC. In what Dr. Hill called "...an urgent need to get the message out," AHA officials also took this opportunity to announce a 3-year national campaign designed to increase awareness of heart disease and stroke among women. The AHA also issued a revised scientific statement on cardiovascular disease in women. This revised statement "...adds new scientific data on risk factors, diagnosis and treatment," according to the AHA press release. For example, the AHA emphasizes in the statement that, while diagnosing heart disease "...presents a greater challenge in women..." than in men, one technique, namely contrast echocardiography, may be "..particularly valuable..." in women. AHA members also note that while antioxidant vitamins have shown promise in terms of preventing heart disease, further study of their effectiveness is required. Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. <http://www.reutershealth.com/news/docs/199709/19970910pbb.html> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask]