Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. In fact, according to the 2003 statistical update from the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease kills over 7 million women annually in the United States, more than the next seven causes of death combined. Of these cardiovascular deaths, the most common cause is acute myocardial infarction (MI). An MI occurs when blood supply to the heart is suddenly interrupted for some period of time. This process may occur because of the development of a thrombus on the surface of a previously existing cholesterol plaque in the coronary arteries. If this blockage is complete and persists for some time—often greater than 30–60 min—the result may be death to the myocardium supplied by this vessel, a so-called transmural infarction. In other situations, the blockage may not completely obstruct all myocardial blood flow, yet it persists and leads to damage. The resulting infarction is termed...
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Suggested Reading
American Heart Association. (2002). 2003 heart and stroke statistical update (pp. 1–29). Dallas, TX: Author.
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Suggested Resources
www.americanheart.org: Website of the American Heart Association. Fact sheets on women and heart disease can be referenced by searching for “Women and cardiovascular disease.”
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Cole, J.H., Wenger, N.K. (2004). Acute Myocardial Infarction. In: Encyclopedia of Women’s Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48113-0_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48113-0_14
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