Special Focus: Responding to the No. 1 cause of death for women
Rush-Copley's women's heart center focuses on cardiovascular disease and prevention
By Randall G. Mielke
SPECIAL TO THE BEACON NEWS

Dr. Santosh Gill, a cardiologist working out of the Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, says cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in American women.

"About a half-million American women die of cardiovascular disease each year," Gill said. "That is more than the next seven causes of death combined. The statistics sound alarming because they are."

To assist women in the care and treatment of cardiovascular disease, Rush-Copley Medical Center opened the Women's Heart Center in February.

"We had been talking about having a facility like this for a few years," Gill said. "Now we have realized our dream."

Gill said one of the main reasons that the Women's Heart Center exists is to raise awareness of heart disease in women.

"Heart disease in women is underdiagnosed," she said. "Mainly because women perceive it differently. According to the American Heart Association, only 13 percent of women recognized heart disease as the major cause of death. More than 40 percent perceived the major cause of death among women to be breast cancer."

Gill indicated that when males turn 50, family members suggest they get a stress test. But when women turn 50, they are asked if they have had a mammogram.

"We want to bring the same awareness for women as there is for men," she said. "Women have not been offered the same care in the past."

That awareness takes the form of identifying symptoms and adjusting treatment to address female needs.

"Heart disease presents different symptoms in women than men, and they respond to treatment differently," Gill said. "We have a group of professionals who are in tune with what the gender differences are."

In terms if differing symptoms, a man might have chest discomfort, but a woman might be short of breath with lesser exertion, or become nauseous when exerting herself. Treatment also differs.

"Between 70 and 80 percent of the treatment is the same for men as it is for women," Gill said. "But women respond differently to medicine than men, so the dosages may be different."

Gill said that the Women's Heart Center has professionals on hand to address other health issues associated with heart disease.

"For example, diabetes is a major risk factor for women," she said. "Women typically get heart disease 10 to 20 years after men do, but with diabetes, that time period is eliminated. We have professionals available to address those problems."

In the past, women with heart disease sought help from a general cardiologist or general practitioner. "But what we ask is, 'What can we do better?' " Gill said. "The Women's Heart Center is a specialized facility. It is like going to a specialty store versus a department store."

09/22/04

The Red Dress Tack Pin
The primary goal of The Heart Truth campaign is to raise awareness that heart disease is the #1 killer of women. To support this goal, The Heart Truth campaign launched the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease in February 2003. The Red Dress Tack Pin symbolizes the message that "heart disease doesn't care what you wear, it's not just a man's disease." Features a delicate heart accent on red enamel. Approximately 3/4" high.

To order online, click here.

Please call the NHLBI Health Information Center at (301) 592-8573 for bulk order pricing.

For more information about Heart Truth, please click here