Dear Barbra,

So glad to see you are raising awareness about women's heart disease.

I have been a long-time advocate for women and heart disease. First as a coronary care nurse, where I saw first hand how men and women were treated differently.
One day two patients were admitted; one man and one women. Each was in their early 50s, both had similar symptoms and similar risk factors for heart disease. The male was immediately taken for an angiogram, while the woman was placed on a cardiac monitor and given the diagnosis rule out angina, versus anxiety! I advocated on this woman's behalf to get the same treatment as her male counter-part. Turns out she had the heart disease and needed bypass surgery, while his coronary arteries were clear.

I spent several years as a cardiology research nurse at both Toronto General Hospital and Stanford University. I can now say that men and women are treated similarly; however, women often do present with different symptoms. An upset stomach and fatigue might be the first symptoms a women presents with. Further education is definitely needed.

While in research, I noted men always showed up for any post-op or rehab appointments because the woman made sure he got there. Women on the other hand had a difficult time getting to appointments. At one time we had a 100% drop out rate for women and rehab.

Now I am a media psychologist and I study the effects of media on health. Entertainment education if a fascinating field. People will respond to health-related information that has been embedded in entertainment. As an example, in one study there was an increase in pap testing when a character in a soap opera was diagnosed with cervical cancer. I was able to show young women who saw a story about breast cancer, were more likely to conduct self breast exams than those who were randomized to traditional educational pamphlets.

I am sure your message on Oprah made some people think about their own risk of heart disease.
Imagine if you made a movie where one of the characters had a cardiac problem. You could weave the education throughout the movie in an entertaining way. The audience would benefit the most as they would be entertained and educated.

By the way, love the hat!

June Wilson, RN, PhD.