February Digest: Women and Heart Disease

February Digest: Women and Heart Disease

The HHS Office on Women’s Health (OWH) knows how important it is for you to have the latest information on prevention and treatment to help you best serve your patients. Each month, we will share a curated list of tools and resources that you can immediately put into practice. Women and Heart Disease — News You Can Use Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. In fact, a recent study found that women are more likely than men to die from a heart attack in the year after having one. This American Heart Month, review new tools and research around heart disease prevention, and encourage your patients to follow recommended heart-healthy guidelines.

Lack of Prioritization, Stigma, and Other Barriers to Women’s Heart Health According to the recent study among U.S. women aged 25–60 and physicians, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Regarding Cardiovascular Disease in Women published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, both female patients and their providers place insufficient emphasis on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. Highlights from the study include: Women and physicians rate weight issues and breast health more often than heart disease as top concerns. Only 16 percent of primary care physicians and 22 percent of cardiologists indicated that they implemented all eight of the American Heart Association’s guidelines for CVD risk assessment. Despite 83 percent of women believing that being overweight was a risk factor for heart disease, 45 percent of women cancelled or postponed a physician appointment until losing a few pounds. Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health for more research on heart disease prevention.  Best Practices for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programs The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently developed a guide for public health professionals and other key stakeholders to improve cardiovascular health in their communities. This guide provides current information on heart disease preventive practices and community-level and health care system interventions, including: Team-based care to improve hypertension control Self-measured blood pressure monitoring with clinical support Clinical decision support systems Tools to Educate, Motivate, and Monitor Your Patients The Million Hearts® program provides tools, protocols, and action guides to improve your practice and your patients’ cardiovascular health. Key offerings include: Cholesterol Management Protocols Self-measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Guide Identifying and Treating Patients Who Use Tobacco: Action Steps for Clinicians For Your Patients Encourage your patients to read the OWH’s heart disease and women fact sheet and the blog post An Interview About Heart Health: Drs. Dhruva and Redberg. For more updates on women’s health, follow OWH on Twitter. Volume 1, Issue 12