The heart truth about a major killer of women

FDA Consumer, Jan-Feb, 2003 by John Henkel

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women--but it doesn't have to be. That is the message of a Web site called "The Heart Truth," created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to give women an urgent wake-up call about the risks of heart disease and how to lower them. The site aims to alert all women, but especially those ages 40 to 60--the prime risk years for developing heart disease--that it is never too late to improve heart health, even for those who have already had a heart attack. Younger women also will learn from the site that heart disease develops gradually and may start as early as the teenage years. And those who have heart disease can help improve their heart health and quality of life by following tips found on the site.

To help drive its point home, "The Heart Truth" features personal stories about heart disease from eight women. Some of these women describe their experiences with having a heart attack; others tell about measures they are taking to avoid one. The site also has an interactive questionnaire to help answer the question, "Are you at an increased risk of having a heart attack?"

The site also has the latest information on menopause--a time when a woman's risk of heart disease starts to rise. The risks for other health problems such as osteoporosis and breast cancer also increase. Web pages with the latest information on the use of hormone therapy during and after menopause, as well as alternative approaches to treating menopausal symptoms, also are featured.

To learn more about women and heart disease, go to "The Heart Truth" at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth.> John Henkel is a member of the FDA's Website Management Staff.

COPYRIGHT 2003 U.S. Government Printing Office

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