Just out of curiousity I thought I'd check out the "Women's Health" section on msnbc.com & did I find anything in recent news regarding women & heart disease after the this week's television broadcast ? nope, the big headline was "depression & menopause" ... dya think that just maybe this why there seems to be this phenomenon called "physician's bias" when it comes to treating women's symptoms & the huge lag in treatment when it comes to female heart disease ? ... the men get the doctor's attention much more readily, whereas particularly menopausal & post menopausal women seem to lack credibility ... the media has to keep the focus on this grave situation ... Laura Bush was on "Larry King" recently & one of her new pet projects is women & heart disease, she spent very little time discussing it w/Larry, didn't seem all that well informed & then spent the majority of the interview on her husband's rapid decline in the nation's popularity polls...the promotional advertising for the show was "The First Lady & Heart Disease in Women"

Sorry, in my zeal to express my interest in getting the word out to women regarding their heart health I overstated the facts just a bit ... I MEANT to state that 500,000 women a year die from heart disease ... even @that rate it's more than all other top cancers, including breast cancer, combined ... we all know or have known someone who has dealt w/breast cancer, it's no longer a hidden disease - there is widespread information available ... it's time to do the same w/heart disease in women ... information & knowledge are powerful tools to help save lives & prevent too many women from dying prematurely

As a 57 y/o woman w/heart disease, all I can say to other women experiencing symptoms but not getting any answers or help from your doctor is to don't give up ... find another doctor,even if that means going thru a multitude of them to get the correct test for a diagnosis ... stress tests & even angiography are not 100% definitive for women ... our coronary plaque is not distributed the same way in our arteries as men ... ours is diffuse along the walls instead of lumpy, bumpy as in men ... the latest generation of ultra fast ct's are the best for a diagnosis ... it's not all "in your head" ... it's often times in your heart ... women tend to put themselves last ... listen to your body - the answers are there & there are some doctors out there who know exactly what's goin on ... over 500 million women dying from heart disease a year is an absolutely staggering number that HAS to be reduced ... and SOON !!! Women are the nurturers & caregivers on all levels of life.

I am writing in regards to thank you for the public awareness on this heart disease issue.
I want to take a part in the study .
Please contact me ???
I have had 4 surgeries done since 2003. 03 had an innersupseion of the lower intestines done.
My blood pressure dropped very low after i went to the bathroom & walked down the hall & when Icame back I could not get my breath, I was in tears & scared & calling for help.
Noone from respitory showed up till later that eveining.The nurse told me I was having a panic attack & would call the Dr.
hysterectomy & a sigmoid colectomy & a rectopexy done.I spent only 3 days in the hospital for this surgery .
4 27 05 I had to return for another surgery have a rectocele done & a innersusepsion of the bowel again.
my blood pressure stays low . when it goes up to 120/80 I have throbbing in my neck,headaches & feel ill I went to the emergy center at KAISER PERMENETE.
The E. R Dr. persrcibed 850 mlgrms motrin & albutral.
I have wrote to the medical board the insurance commissioner, American Medical Assoc. & yes I even contacted Jachoe , for the treatment that I received from my health care providers
I was never reffered to a gastrointestinal Dr.
I am 44 years old & heart disease stroke & breast canceris present in my family history .

It is amazing to me the number of women who still don't understand that women are almost twice as likely to die from a first heart attack than men. I think we are the victims of propaganda vis a vis heart issues. I am so thankful that the American Red Cross has initiated the Red Dress campaign. Perhaps now more women will be aware of thier risks for heart disease. Do what you can to spread the word and to educate not only yourself but those around you!

It's terrific you are covering this topic. I hope you will contact WomenHeart: the national coalition for women with heart disease to get patient referrals for the show and accurate information about the topic. I had bypass at 42yo and as an avid athlete,ave weight, non smoker etc never thought it could happen to me. Unfortunately, I am not alone--there are thousands of women like me! Again, I am glad you are addressing the topic!