DMC Heart Hospital VP Cindy Grines, MD, Co-Authors Major American Heart Association Scientific Statement on Women and Heart Attacks

Co-authored by veteran interventional cardiologist and DMC Heart
Hospital Vice President Cindy L. Grines, M.D., a new scientific
statement in an American Heart Association journal illustrates the
significant shift over time in treatment of acute myocardial infarction
in women

DETROIT–(BUSINESS WIRE)–After a lengthy review of increasing medical evidence, the American
Heart Association has published a scientific statement on the reduction
in cardiovascular disease mortality in women. Per the study, “The
dramatic decline in mortality rates for women is attributed partly to an
increase in awareness, a greater focus on women and cardiovascular
disease risk, and the increased application of evidence-based treatments
for established coronary disease.”

“This is absolutely a good news story for women in terms of their health
and cardiovascular disease,” says co-author Cindy L. Grines, MD, Vice
President of DMC Heart Hospital.

While often traditionally considered a disease of men, cardiovascular
disease (“CVD”) is the leading cause of mortality for women in the
United States. The study suggests that “although major progress has been
made in reducing CVD mortality in women, medical research has
historically neglected the health needs of women, apart from
reproductive concerns.”

“It’s a longstanding misconception that cancer is the leading killer
when it comes to women,” says Grines. “That’s actually second. According
to the Centers for Disease Control, Heart disease is the number one
killer of women in the U.S.” http://tinyurl.com/jl32d6d

But since 2000, the incidence of cardiovascular mortality in women has
been on a decline, at a degree of thousands of lives saved. What’s
changed?

“It’s a combination of advancements in treatment and education about
cardiovascular disease among both patients and physicians,” says Grines.
“We still have a long way to go in addressing the cardiovascular disease
rate for women, but this data is a good indication that we are starting
to do the right things, at the right time.”

Education about the differences between men and women in terms of
cardiovascular disease and its risk factors has been, and continues to
be a key effort. “For decades, women were seen as ‘smaller men’ as far
as heart disease was concerned, and needless to say, that’s incorrect,”
says Grines. “There are clear differences in how women experience
symptoms, in how the disease affects their body and in the effect risk
factors have on their disease.

As an example, Dr. Grines cited modifiable risk factors such as
depression, obesity and stress, which have very different rates of
impact on cardiovascular disease risk – and all of them are higher when
it comes to women. Patients and clinicians are learning to recognize
symptoms in women that are different, such as shortness of breath, and
pain in locations outside the chest, including arms, back, neck, jaw or
stomach. http://tinyurl.com/jsjdwq4

“The data in this new scientific statement is clear and compelling,”
said Grines, who is also a Professor of Medicine at the Wayne State
University School of Medicine. “We’ve known for some time that heart
disease in women was different, and now we have support for more
specific protocols for recognizing and treating it faster and better.”

“The vital connection between research and treatment can be seen clearly
in this important new statement,” said DMC Heart Hospital President
Theodore L. Schreiber, M.D. “The research by Dr. Grines and her
colleagues is a very hopeful indication for all of us that the Heart
Hospital is helping lead the way in this crucial aspect of research and
clinical treatment for women in our region and across the nation.”

The scientific statement, titled “Acute Myocardial Infarction in Women”
can be found on the American Heart Association Circulation
website at: http://tinyurl.com/za7eedy

About the Detroit Medical Center:
Detroit Medical Center includes DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan,
DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Harper University Hospital, DMC
Heart Hospital, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, DMC Hutzel Women’s
Hospital, DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, and DMC Sinai-Grace
Hospital. Detroit Medical Center is a leading regional healthcare system
with a mission of excellence in clinical care, research and medical
education.

Contacts

DMC Heart Hospital
Ken Bearden, 313-578-2771
KBearden@dmc.org