http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditions/06/14/women.heart.ap/index.html

Survey: Female heart patients dissatisfied with treatment

Saturday, June 14, 2003 Posted: 11:36 AM EDT (1536 GMT)

(AP) -- Heart disease is the number one killer of women, yet many women who are surviving with the disease think the road to recovery has been littered with obstacles and indifference.

In a survey by WomenHeart, a national coalition for women with the disease, women cited lack of adequate information and social support to make needed lifestyle changes, lack of insurance coverage for nutrition and weight management services, and especially, poor physician communications style and sensitivity.

Survey findings were published in a peer-reviewed journal, Women's Health Issues.

Of 204 women surveyed, 52 percent said they were dissatisfied with some part of their health care; 58 percent pointed to their doctors' attitude and communication. Clinical depression was reported by 38 percent; anxiety by 17 percent and 21 percent both. And 27 percent said their family relationships had deteriorated following diagnosis, often because they couldn't perform responsibilities at home as before.

Only 35 percent of the women even recognized their symptoms as heart-related, and 45 percent said their heart disease "came out of the blue," said Nancy Loving, WomenHeart executive director.

"This survey is a wakeup call for health care professionals who need to understand how much their attitudes and communications styles influence their female patients' willingness to ask questions, participate in medical decisions, and adhere to recommended treatment and lifestyle modification," said Dr. Sharonne Hayes, Mayo Clinic cardiologist and co-author of the article.

The women surveyed urged other women to be proactive, asking questions and seeking out attentive doctors who are knowledgeable about heart disease in women.