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Her Heart Community Comes to Cleveland, Where Death Rates From Heart Disease Are 47% Higher Than National Average (1)

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 February 2007, 09:00 CST

CLEVELAND, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Her Heart Community initiative, a two-day educational conference featuring the latest information on the risks, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease in women, will be held in Cleveland on February 27-28. The first day at the InterContinental Hotel, 6:30-8:30 PM, is exclusively for physicians and other health practitioners, while the second day at the Great Lakes Science Center, 11:45 AM-1:00 PM, is open to the general public.

The event is intended to raise awareness of heart disease -- the number one cause of death among American women -- and to encourage the healthcare community and at-risk women to be aggressively proactive about early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Cleveland was selected to participate in the nationwide Her Heart Community tour because cardiac-related incidents for women in this area are among the highest in the nation. Consider these troubling statistics:

-- The city of Cleveland's age-adjusted death rate from heart disease (395 deaths per 100,000 population) is 47% higher than the national average. (1) -- Cuyahoga County's overall age-adjusted death rate from heart disease (313.7 deaths per 100,000 population (2)) is approximately 30% higher than the national average. (3)

Women have a special need to become better informed about heart disease, largely because its onset, progression, and symptoms can be different for women than for men. For example, in one study, fewer than 30% of women reported having chest pain or discomfort prior to their heart attacks, and 43% reported having no chest pain during any phase of the attack. Instead, major symptoms included unusual fatigue, sleep disturbance, shortness of breath, and indigestion. (4)

The February 28 public event will include a panel discussion featuring internationally renowned cardiologists and experts on women's heart health issues that will be moderated by Dr. Leslie Cho, Director of the Cleveland Clinic's Women's Cardiovascular Center. Panelists include:

-- Dr. Manuel Cerqueira, Chairman of Molecular and Functional Imaging and a staff cardiologist in the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center's Section of Cardiovascular Imaging -- Dr. Jennifer Mieres, Director of Nuclear Cardiology for the New York University School of Medicine and a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association -- Dr. Len Fromer, Past President of the California Academy of Family Physicians

Dr. Mieres also has produced the documentary, "A Woman's Heart." She was profiled as an "Everyday Hero" in Newsday for her efforts in advocating that physicians and the general public become more knowledgeable, vigilant, and proactive about addressing women-specific heart issues.

"We must dispel the myth that heart disease is a man's disease," said Dr. Mieres. "It is unconscionable that fewer than 1 in 5 physicians are aware that more women die of heart disease each year than men."

Both conferences will include a presentation by Kathe King, a Zanesville, Ohio, heart attack survivor and pastoral counselor. As an advocate for the WomenHeart nonprofit organization, King encourages women to learn more about heart disease and offers guidance on how to heal their emotional scars.

"Women aren't like men. We do better when we bond together and help each other through the tough times," says King. "We also need to become more aware of heart attack warning signs and take them seriously."

Other topics to be covered in the Her Heart Community public event include:

-- Cardiac risk factors for women and what they can do to minimize them. -- Differences in coronary artery disease among different ethnic groups.

Her Heart Community (HHC) is a community-based initiative supported by Astellas Pharma US, Inc., providing health professionals, patients, and consumers with the latest developments in raising awareness of the importance of changing the way we look at women and cardiovascular disease. For more information about Her Heart Community, please visit herheartcommunity.com.

About Astellas

Astellas Pharma US, Inc., located in Deerfield, Illinois, is a US affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. The organization is committed to becoming a global pharmaceutical company by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities and continuing to grow in the world pharmaceutical market. For more information about Astellas Pharma US, Inc., please visit our website at http://www.astellas.com/us.

(1) Public Health GIS and Information, March 2006 (No. 69). Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Ga; March 2006. Appendix: Heart Disease Deaths, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 1997-2001. Available at: http://www.4women.gov/OWH/reg/5/#ohio. Accessed January 16, 2007. (2) Leading Causes of Death for Cuyahoga 2000-2002. Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics. Available at: http://www.clevelandhealth.info/localstats/topics/causesdeath/local. September 24, 2004. Accessed January 16, 2007. (3) Heart Disease Facts and Statistics, Centers for Disease Control. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/HeartDisease/facts.htm May 12, 2006. Accessed January 16, 2007. (4) McSweeney JC, Cody M, O'Sullivan P, Elberson K, Moser DK, Garvin BJ. Women's early warning symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Circulation. 2003;108:2619-2623.

Astellas Pharma US, Inc.

CONTACT: Emily Lauer, +1-216-298-4609, elauer@edwardhoward.com, forAstellas Pharma US, Inc.

Web site: http://herheartcommunity.com/http://www.astellas.com/us

Source: PRNewswire

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