• Heart disease remains the top cause of death for women in the United States.
• About 1 in every 5 female deaths are linked to heart disease.
• A recent national survey from the American Heart Association found that despite the risk, many women are unaware of the signs of heart attack and stroke or the risk heart disease poses to women.

According to the Centers for Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in every 5 female deaths are linked to heart disease.

A national survey published this week in the Circulation journal from the American Heart Association found that despite the risk, many women are unaware of the signs of heart attack and stroke or the risk heart disease poses.

The survey found that from 2009 to 2019, awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death for women decreased from 65 percent to 44 percent.

Awareness also declined among the following areas: warning signs of a heart attack and stroke, first action to take when someone is having a heart attack or stroke, and heart disease and stroke risk factors.

What women should know

The decline was observed in women of all ages, except those greater than 65 years old, and in all racial and ethnic groups.

“It is disappointing to hear that younger women were less likely in 2019 to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle than in 2009,” said Dr. Eugenia Gianos, director of Women’s Heart Health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. “This, coupled with lack of awareness about heart disease, may explain the rise in heart disease mortality we are seeing in younger women.”

However, lack of awareness was greatest among women less than 34 years old and in non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic groups. According to the CDC, Black women are about 60 percent more likely than white women to have heart attacks, “primarily because of socioeconomic factors such as poor insurance coverage, lack of quality care, and insufficient prenatal counseling.”

When women have a heart attack, they may have different symptoms compared to a man. While chest discomfort is common, they may experience other symptoms that are less associated with heart attacks including dizziness, shortness of breath, or nausea.

Other symptoms can include:

pain or discomfort in the back, jaw, stomach or both arms

breaking out into a cold sweat

shortness of breath with or without chest pain

vomiting

chest pain

A matter of education

The findings of the survey show that the greatest lack of awareness is in women under ages 34, and in non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women.

These findings highlight, among other things, the disparities in education among socioeconomic communities.

The most recent report said that, “Women at high CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk (heart disease or stroke) had higher awareness than women without these conditions in 2009, but this was not seen in 2019.”

The report also found that people with diabetes were not more likely to be aware of cardiac warning signs even though they would be more at risk for cardiac event.

Additionally they found that women with hypertension had 30 percent lower awareness of cardiac warning signs compared to women without hypertension.

“Although disparities exist in the awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death in women, the real lesson from this study is that there is a universal deficiency in education that must be urgently addressed,” said Gianos. “The results of this study bring to light the urgent need for increased research funding dedicated to the education, prevention, and treatment of heart disease in women.”

“It’s not just about putting the messages out on social media,” added Dr. Nieca Goldberg, cardiologist and medical director of the Women’s Heart Program at NYU Langone Health. “It has to be something that connects with people who are potentially at risk. We really need to be very diverse in making sure women of all backgrounds get evaluated.”

“It’s disappointing,” she said. “I’m still continuing to do this work. We’re not moving the needle. I think a good message is, ‘You’re never too young to learn about heart disease risks and to start preventing them.’”

Causes of heart disease in women

Some of the risk factors for heart disease among women include:high blood pressure

high cholesterol

diabetes

cigarette smoking

sedentary lifestyle

obesity

family history

But even for women who do not have these risk factors, there are still measures to be taken to ensure that they are leading a heart-healthy lifestyle.

“We need the medical community to get together to show women it’s not just about those risk factors, but other factors to evaluate,” said Goldberg. “Certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, put women at increased risk for heart attack. [The same is true of] women with pregnancy-related conditions. We need doctors of many specialties, not just cardiologists, to work together to reach out to women of all ages about their potential risk factors.”

Fortunately there are proactive measures that all women can take every single day in order to help reduce their risk of heart disease. Some of these measures include:

Eat a healthy diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — and low in saturated fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.

Quit smoking.

Drink in moderation.

Manage stress.

Exercise.

appropriate aspirin therapy for those who need it

blood pressure control

cholesterol management

smoking cessation

“It’s a community effort,” said Goldberg. “We need to find the best ways that women of all backgrounds feel more comfortable in getting these messages. Sometimes having a national effort that is cookie cutter does not reach everyone. There really has to be a different strategy.

Researchers have found a way to repair the faulty gene that causes sickle cell disease, which they suggest is a significant step forward in the search for a viable gene therapy.

Scientists are seeing promising early results from the first studies testing gene editing for painful, inherited blood disorders that plague millions worldwide, especially Black people.

Doctors hope the one-time treatment, which involves permanently altering DNA in blood cells with a tool called CRISPR, may treat and possibly cure sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.

Partial results were presented Saturday at an American Society of Hematology conference and some were published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

In sickle cell, defective hemoglobin leads to deformed, crescent-shaped blood cells that don’t carry oxygen well. They can stick together and clog small vessels, causing pain, organ damage and strokes.

Those with beta thalassemia don’t have enough normal hemoglobin, and suffer anemia, fatigue, shortness of breath and other symptoms. Severe cases require transfusions every two to five weeks.

The treatment studied attacks the problem at its genetic roots.

Doctors described 10 patients who are at least several months removed from their treatment. All no longer need regular blood transfusions and are free from pain crises that plagued their lives before.

In the womb, fetuses make a special type of hemoglobin. After birth, when babies breathe on their own, a gene is activated that instructs cells to switch and make an adult form of hemoglobin instead. The adult hemoglobin is what’s defective in people with one of these diseases. The CRISPR editing aims to cut out the switching gene. The treatment involves removing stem cells from the patient’s blood, then using CRISPR in a lab to knock out the switching gene. Patients are given strong medicines to kill off their other, flawed blood-producing cells. Then they are given back their own lab-altered stem cells.

A cooling mattress pad aims to help prevent overheating and ensure a cool, restful night’s sleep.

A drop in the body’s temperature is important for getting to sleep, and being too hot may disrupt sleep patterns and reduce sleep quality.

A person can take various steps to keep the bedroom cool, including investing in cooling bedding.

Temperature and sleep quality

A person’s body temperature typically  lowers during sleep. If the temperature is too high, the quality and natural patterns of sleep can be disrupted.

A 2019 study into the effects of hot weather on sleep found that sleep quality was best at around 89.6°F and worst at around 98.6°F. High temperatures negatively impacted participants’ ability to fall asleep, their sleep satisfaction, and the adequacy of their sleep.

A 2017 study found that rising nighttime temperatures in the United States may be preventing adequate sleep, particularly for older adults and people with lower incomes.

Benefits of a mattress

A mattress is a significant investment, and finding one that suits each sleeper’s needs can take time. Meanwhile, sleep habits and needs can change over time, and the support and cooling capability of a mattress can gradually reduce.

A mattress pad can be an affordable way to add cooling or comfort to a bed without replacing the mattress.

Having a mattress pad can also prolong the lifespan of the mattress.

How do cooling mattress pads work

A cooling mattress pad helps the body maintain a regular temperature throughout the night. It does so actively or passively.

A passive pad works because of the materials it contains. These may include:

gel-infused memory foam

cooling gel beads

natural latex, which is produced from rubber trees

phase change material, which absorbs or releases heat depending on the environment

moisture-wicking materials, such as those common in sports and fitness clothing

An active cooling mattress pad uses additional devices, such as water pumps or an attachable fan. They tend to be more expensive and complex.

People who wake up feeling hot in the night or who feel that the heat is limiting their sleep quality may benefit from a cooling mattress pad.

This type of product may be active, and contain a fan or pump, or passive, and contain thermoregulating materials.

A cooling pad or topper may also increase a mattress’s comfort, support, and longevity.