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Notice to Readers: American Heart Month --- February 2009
As part of American Heart Month, February 6 is National Wear Red Day, a day when persons across the United States
wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United
States for both men and women, with women accounting for nearly half of those deaths
(1).
In 2006, 7.9 million persons in the United States reported ever having a heart attack
(1). The major signs of a heart attack are chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm or shoulder; pain in the jaw, neck or back; shortness of breath; and feeling
weak, light-headed, or faint. Although the most commonly experienced symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is
chest pain or discomfort, women are more likely than men to experience other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, pain in
the back or jaw, or nausea (2). Women also are more likely than men to delay seeking emergency treatment for a heart
attack. Receiving immediate treatment substantially increases the chance of surviving a heart attack
(2).
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