Patricia Schlorke

Adult Women and Coronary Heart Disease: Studies on Surgical Procedures and Perception Patricia Schlorke

Coronary heart disease (CHD) was the number one cause of death in the United States. The main CHD symptom was a heart attack. The most common form of a heart attack was chest pain and shortness of breath, which occurred in men. However, women did not usually have chest pain, but other symptoms such as abdominal pain or indigestion. This could lead women to perceive or believe that they would not have heart disease or heart attacks. This thought could lead women to not obtaining health care, such as surgical procedures, for CHD. Health professionals knew the signs and symptoms of CHD in men, but they may be uncertain in their diagnosis in women. This could lead to women not asking their health care professional about heart attacks or other symptoms. The purpose of this book analyzed two areas: a) comparing length of stay between men and women undergoing surgical procedures; and b) women's perceptions about CHD. An increased length of stay could cause more health utilzation. Knowledge of heart attck symptoms show a need for more awareness and communication for all women. This book will be useful for statisticians, public health studies, and those interested in medicine.