1 in 3 Women Will Suffer From Heart Disease, the
#1 Killer of U.S. Women.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), here are the facts:

• One in 2.6 females who die, die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with 1 in 30 who die of breast cancer.
• In 2003, CVD caused about a death a minute among females – over 480,000 female lives every year. That’s more female lives than were claimed by the next five leading causes of death combined (cancer, COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and accidents)
• 64% of women who die suddenly of CVD have no previous symptoms of this disease.
• CVD, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, remain the leading causes of death of women in America and most developed countries, with nearly 39% of all female deaths in the U.S. occurring from CVD.
• CVD is a particularly important problem among minority women.  The death rate due to CVD is higher in black women than in white women.
• 38% of women compared with 25% of men will die within one year after a heart attack.
• Of the approximately 5.5 million stroke survivors alive today, 56% are women.

Misperceptions still exist that heart disease is not a real issue for women. CIMT can help identify your risk and clarify these misperceptions.  When your doctor tells you to "Know Your Numbers", such as HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, etc., make sure he or she includes your CIMT values within the equation.