American Heart Association: There’s Room for Improvement in
Women’s Awareness of Heart Disease Younger women and minorities
still unaware of risks (Feb. 19) The number of women aware that
heart disease is the leading cause of death has nearly doubled
in the last 15 years, but that knowledge still lags in
minorities and younger women, according to a new study in
Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association
(AHA). Researchers comparing women’s views about heart disease
in 1997 and today found: - In 2012, 56% of women identified
heart disease as the leading cause of death compared with 30% in
1997. - In 1997, women were more likely to cite cancer than
heart disease as the leading killer (35% versus 30%); but in
2012, only 24% cited cancer. - In 2012, 36% of black women and
34% of Hispanic women identified heart disease as the top killer
— awareness levels that white women had in 1997 (33%). - Women
25 to 34 years old had the lowest awareness rate of any age
group at 44%. The study showed that barri