(RxWiki News) In a recent survey, nearly three quarters of women had at least one risk factor for heart disease. And only around 16 percent had heard from their doctors about the risks they faced.
That's according to a new study that surveyed more than 1,000 women over the Internet. Many of those women had a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes — all risk factors for heart disease.
But only 16 percent of the women surveyed said they had been told by a doctor that they might be at risk for heart disease. And another 34 percent had simply been told to lose weight, the authors of this study found.
These researchers noted that, although the current study didn't include men, past research has found that men are more likely to be advised of their heart health risks by their doctors and less likely to be told to lose weight when compared to women.
The takeaway for women? According to these Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers, women should keep their regular heart checkup appointments, even if they're in the process of trying to lose weight.
This abstract was presented at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Sessions. Research presented at conferences may not have been peer-reviewed.
