Knowledge of heart disease among women in an urban emergency setting

Abstract

Study objectives: We examine the hypothesis that a lack of knowledge about heart disease may contribute to the higher prevalence of heart disease–related illnesses in women in urban areas by decreasing their likelihood to make appropriate lifestyle changes. Methods: This was a prospective survey of 224 women presenting to an urban emergency department. All study patients were surveyed about their knowledge of heart disease and associated risk factors. Results: Two hundred patients correctly completed the surveys. Only 25 (13%) women correctly identified heart disease as the leading cause of death in women. Similarly, only 12 (6%) women surveyed thought that heart disease was the greatest health issue facing women today. The majority of women believed that breast cancer was the most important health issue and responsible for the greatest mortality in women. Only 3 of the traditional cardiac risk factors were correctly identified by half of the women surveyed: hypercholesteremia (56%); hypertension (54%); and tobacco use (52%). Family history was correctly identified by 44%, and only 20% of women thought that diabetes was a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Despite increased medical education and media time spent on women's health issues, up to 87% of women in this urban population did not know the leading cause of death for their sex and therefore are less likely to make important lifestyle modifications to decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease.