American Academy of Family Physicians
Home Page > News & Journals > News > AAFP News Now > Health of the Public > Campaign Aims to Educate Women About Heart Attacks

Search  

Advanced Search

Printer-friendly version

Share this on AAFP Connection

Share this page

Campaign Aims to Educate Women About Symptoms of Heart Attack

AAFP Supports HHS Initiative That Stresses Timely Treatment

By News Staff

Photo illustration of woman experiencing the heart attack symptom of chest pain as a heavy weight on her chest
Only half of American women know the symptoms of a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association, and fewer than half would call 911 if they thought they were having one. That's why the AAFP is one of nearly two dozen organizations supporting an HHS initiative launched Feb. 1 that aims to educate women about the most common symptoms of heart attack and encourage them to call 911 as soon as they experience symptoms.
"Family physicians see so many women," AAFP Board Chair Lori Heim, M.D., of Vass, N.C., told AAFP News Now. "One thing we can do is help them understand their (heart attack) risks.

"Second, they need to call 911 when they have symptoms. Women are less likely to get timely care. Their reactions in calling for an ambulance or going to an emergency room are delayed. As we know, delays result in poorer outcomes."

Know the Symptoms

According to HHS' Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat website, the most common symptoms of heart attack are
  • chest pain, discomfort, pressure or squeezing;
  • shortness of breath;
  • nausea;
  • light-headedness or sudden dizziness;
  • unusual upper body pain, or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach;
  • unusual fatigue; and
  • breaking out in a cold sweat.
Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of these symptoms, HHS said, including shortness of breath; nausea and vomiting; fatigue; and pain in the back, shoulders, and jaw.

AAFP Helps You Manage Your Patients With Heart Disease

The Feb. 1 launch of HHS' Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat initiative coincides with the beginning of American Heart Month. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute also sponsors its national awareness campaign about heart disease in women, known as The Heart Truth, in February.

To help you keep your clinical skills at their sharpest, American Family Physician's new AFP By Topic feature includes a collection of up-to-date journal articles and other evidence-based resources on coronary artery disease/coronary heart disease (some content is available to members/paid subscribers only).

The Academy also offers a number of resources to help educate patients about heart disease and how to avoid it. FamilyDoctor.org's Heart Disease and Heart Attacks: What Women Need to Know Web page discusses how to recognize heart attack symptoms and what women can do to lower their heart attack risk. The page also links to other FamilyDoctor.org pages on heart disease and related conditions, as well as to other relevant organizations' websites.

Know the Risks

According to the CDC, in 2006, nearly 7 percent of both white and Mexican-American women had coronary heart disease, and nearly 9 percent of black women had the disease. Heart disease claimed the lives of nearly 316,000 American women that year.

The agency said that 90 percent of heart disease patients have at least one of the following risk factors:
  • high cholesterol,
  • high blood pressure,
  • diabetes,
  • cigarette smoking,
  • overweight and obesity,
  • poor diet,
  • physical inactivity, and
  • alcohol use.
"It's very true that women have not previously recognized the significant risk for cardiovascular disease," Heim said. "It's important that we begin to understand the risk relative to deaths from heart attacks because that's the No. 1 killer of women."

The HHS campaign focuses on knowing the symptoms of a heart attack and educating women about what they should do if they have one. Heim said family physicians should deliver that important message, but the conversation also should include advice about prevention.

"Let's try to prevent heart attacks in the first place," she said. "Tell your patients, 'Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, so if you want to lower your risk, let's talk about things like smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol and exercise.'"
Related ANN Coverage
AHRQ Releases New Guides on Coronary Heart Disease
Documents Summarize Risks, Benefits of ARBs, ACEIs
(8/19/2010)

More From AAFP
Cardiovascular Health Clinical Recommendations

Additional Resource
American Heart Association

Printer-friendly version
Share this on AAFP Connection
Share this page

Copyright ©  American Academy of Family Physicians
Home | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | My Academy | Site Map
Members | Residents | Students | Patients | Media Center

AAFP Connection AAFP Connection | Facebook Find us on Facebook | Twitter Follow us on Twitter
RSS RSS | POD Podcasts

Search AAFP News Now

 

Health of the Public

Remain Vigiliant for Novel Coronavirus, Says CDC

DTaP Remains in Short Supply This Summer

Though Waning, H7N9 Still Poses Pandemic Potential

AUA Says No to Routine PSA Screening

AAFP Criticizes Appeal of Plan B One-Step Ruling

AAFP to Hospitals: Stop Early Elective Deliveries

AAFP, USPSTF Differ Somewhat on HIV Screening Guidance

Zoledronic Acid Confers Both Pros, Cons

ACP Issues Guidance on PSA Screening

Abbott Recalls FreeStyle InsuLinx Blood Glucose Meter

Discuss Drug Options With Women at Risk for Breast Cancer

Shingles Vaccine Effective, But Uptake Is Low

Evidence Lacking to Make Oral Cancer Screening Recommendation

Two External Guidelines Get Qualified AAFP Endorsement

USPSTF Recommends BRCA Testing for High-risk Women

Primary Care, Public Health Look for Ways to Integrate

Malfunction Prompts Glucose Meter Recall

Evidence Lacking on PAD Screening, Says USPSTF

Azithromycin Poses Arrhythmia Risk, Says FDA

Vets With PTSD Often Prescribed Inappropriate Meds

AIM-HI Offers Grants to Combat Childhood Obesity

USPSTF Says No to Low-dose Vitamin D, Calcium to Prevent Fractures

PCV13, HibMenCY Vaccine Changes Approved by ACIP

AAFP, Other Groups Release More Choosing Wisely Lists

National Office Champions Tobacco Cessation Project Successful

USPSTF Issues Draft Statement on Glaucoma Screening

Study Examines Overuse, Inappropriate Use of Health Services

Apply to Become an AAFP Vaccine Science Fellow

Study Looks to Reduce PSA Screening Risks

AAP Issues New Clinical Guidance on Type 2 Diabetes

CDC: Adult Vaccination Rates Still Too Low

Pertussis Outbreaks Declining, but Immunization Still Key

2013 Immunization Schedules Include Several Changes

FDA Warns of Liver Injury Risk With Samsca Use

FDA Approves First Recombinant Trivalent Influenza Vaccine

AAFP, USPSTF: Screen Women of Childbearing Age for Partner Violence

Breast Cancer Screening in Older Women Costly, Likely Ineffective

CDC Gives Flu Update, Urges Continued Vaccination

Aerobic Exercise Beats Resistance Training for Weight Control