|
Heart Disease In The News Younger women have higher mortality after MI Previous studies have shown that women admitted to the hospital with myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) have a higher in-hospital death rate than men. A new study, reported this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that middle aged women who survive heart attacks have a significantly higher death rate over the next two years. This higher mortality appears not to be related to differences in treatment between women and men. Possible reasons for this higher mortality include: the use of hormone replacement therapy (suspected to increase risk in women with known coronary artery disease); higher rates of depression among women, or proportionally more cardiac damage with heart attacks in women than in men. Further research is being conducted to attempt to sort out such potential causes. This study suggests that risk factor modification after heart attacks may be even more vital in women than in men. Take our poll: Should doctors tell patients of the potential health benefits of alcohol? |
Click here for an article on hormone
replacement therapy and heart disease
Links related to women
and heart disease
What do you think? Enter the Heart Disease Forum:
