Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, and women are 15 percent more likely to die of it than men, according to the American Heart Association.

American women with heart disease make up the largest health risk group, yet more than half (52 percent) of them said, in an unprecedented national survey, they are dissatisfied with the medical care they’ve received. Further, 57 percent said they suffered mental illness due to the disease, including anxiety (17 percent), clinical depression (38 percent) or a combination of the two (21 percent).

While the number of men dying from heart disease annually dropped from 510,000 in the 1980s to 440,000 today due to advances in treatment and diagnosis, the number of women dying annually has risen during this time--from 490,000 to 510,000.

The survey of 204 women focused on how the disease influenced the women’s quality of life.

Results indicated that 58 percent of the women attributed the problem to physician attitudes and communication styles; 27 percent had family relationships deteriorate as a result of the illness; 45 percent felt the symptoms "came out of the blue" compared with just 35 percent who said they recognized symptoms early on; and 42 percent of women said they had to change their work schedule or quit their job due to the disease.

Women are also more likely than men to suffer from depression, which may explain the increased risk of heart attack. Depressed women are less likely to take care of themselves and are therefore more likely to die early from heart disease.

Researchers say that doctors should not overlook the mind-body connection when treating patients and should look to improve patients’ quality of life in order to promote long-term wellness.

WomensHeart.org January 24, 2003