Re: Re: AARP Magazine Feb/Mar 2012

[Guest guest]

Hmm. You are correct. But need to read the Women's Health study. Started in about 1994 more or less so we not have 20 years of data. Many good findings.Still the traditional risk factors are very predictive of heart disease in women as in men. These are 1. Smoking-Yes or No. 2. BP >1203. Cholesterol >2004. BMI >255. Glucose metabolism Unless one or more of these are present or "high" the chances of developing a heart attack or stroke are very small. On Mar 18, 2012, at 11:30 AM, lk.barns wrote: Heart disease research focused on women is a relatively new development. Historically, medical research subjects have been male - due it part to early social mores and more readily available volunteer population groups - military & college students. The most well known medical studies featuring women subjects are commonly referred to the Nuns' study and the Nurses' study because these 2 populations were easier to track. Then suddenly medical researchers discovered that boys and girls were different - not just in the obvious ways we all discovered in kindergarten - but on a biochemical level. Treatments and medications that had successfully been used in male patients may not have been as successful for women patients. Such studies began to determine if gender played a role in a treatment's effectiveness. Heart disease is still considered "a mans disease" with many women displaying non-traditional symptoms or delaying treatment. Awareness is still a problem. However, one thing appears to be the same - the cool air from my bipap machine annoys my husband too - but you can always remove the mask!