Women Urged To Learn The Latest On Aspirin Therapy And Heart Disease Prevention

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 10 Mar 2005 - 9:00 PST

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Free Report on Heart Health Now Available -

USA - The National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) is urging women, especially those over the age of 45, to talk with their health care professionals about the recently released study on the use of low-dose aspirin in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. The study found that while aspirin lowered the risk of stroke, it did not affect women's risk of heart attack or death from other cardiovascular diseases.

"Heart disease and stroke remain leading killers and cripplers of women. Women want and need to know how to protect themselves," said Amy Niles, president and CEO of the NWHRC. "NWHRC recently launched the 'Take 10 for Your Heart' year-long campaign to raise heart health awareness. That needs to include taking 10 minutes to talk with a health care professional about this latest research on daily low dose aspirin."

The study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was the first gold standard clinical trial of low dose aspirin in the prevention of heart attack and stroke in women.

The American Heart Association's (AHA) guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention on women, issued in early 2004, included recommendations for aspirin use among women at varying levels of risk for heart disease and stroke. In a published statement, the AHA's president emphasized that for women with known cardiovascular disease, aspirin therapy is "beneficial in reducing heart attacks as well as stroke, and unless it is contraindicated these women should receive aspirin therapy." The study offered no clear guidelines for women of intermediate risk.

The National Women's Health Report: Women & Heart Health: From Prevention to Intervention, includes information on aspirin therapy. It can be ordered free of charge at http://www.healthywomen.org.

Take 10 for Your Heart was chosen as the name for the NWHRC's heart health education campaign because we know what busy lives women lead today, said Niles. "Medical research shows that even small lifestyle changes, can make a difference in a woman's risk for heart disease. That's why we say, "Take 10. Make time. It will pay big health dividends."

The National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) is the leading independent health information source for women. For more information, call 877-986-9472 or visit http://www.healthywomen.org.

CONTACT: Beverly Dame of National Women's Health Resource Center, +1-888-406-9472

National Women's Health Resource Center
http://www.healthywomen.org

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