Coronary heart disease, commonly called "heart disease," is the number one killer of women in the United States. (1) Women who have heart attacks are more likely to die from them within a year than are men. (2) However, one in four women died from heart disease in 2004, a decrease from one in three in 2003. (3)
How many women die from coronary heart disease?
Because the Healthy People 2010 benchmark is not specific to women, the Report Card benchmark of 72.8 deaths per 100,000 women is based upon a modification of the Healthy People goal [Healthy People 2010 Objective 12-1], to make it more applicable to women (as described in the Methodology section).
Data Source: Coronary Heart Disease Death Rate (per 100,000 population), 2001-2003
EXPLANATION:
Coronary heart disease includes ischemic heart disease including mention of hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, complications following myocardial infarction, other acute ischemic heart diseases and chronic ischemic heart disease. Coronary heart disease death rates for women are three-year averages and are per 100,000 estimated population. Death rates for all ages include deaths occurring at any age, and are age-adjusted to the U.S. 2000 standard population.
SOURCE:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Office on Women’s Health Quick Health Data Online, available at http://www.womenshealth.gov/quickhealthdata.