"A large part (93 percent) of this sharper decrease in mortality of younger women compared with men in recent years was because the risk status of women on admission improved compared with that of men," the authors write. "Such improvement may be due to better recognition and management of coronary heart disease and its risk factors in women before the acute myocardial infarction event, as suggested by the narrowing sex difference in previous revascularization [surgical treatment for heart disease]."(Arch Intern Med. 2009;169[19]:1762-1766 and 1767-1774. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.)

Editor's Note: Please see the articles for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Editorial: Prevention Is Key for Women and Heart Disease"Cardiovascular illnesses have been long neglected in their role as the primary cause of mortality in women, both by patients and physicians," write Sabine Oertelt-Prigione, M.D., and Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, M.D., Ph.D., of Charit?© Universitaetsmedizin, Berlin, in an accompanying editorial. "Men are still believed to be at greater risk for myocardial infarction and stroke and are thus more aggressively informed, counseled and treated for these diseases."

"The improvements described by Towfighi et al and Vaccarino et al are encouraging and indicate that we are on the right track. However, much needs to be done, especially in consideration of the increase in prevalence of risk factors as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the general population."

"As these studies show, increased and continuous vigorous attention to the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors ”by healthy diet, regular physical activity and avoidance of smoke and smoking ”is necessary for both men and women," they conclude.(Arch Intern Med. 2009;169[19]:1740-1741. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.)

Source: University of Southern California