66 percent of adults never talked to their mothers about heart disease

May 8 2004

Just in time for Mother's Day, a national survey commissioned by GE Healthcare reveals that nearly two out of three adults have never talked to their mothers about heart disease, the number one killer of women in the United States. To help people share this important information, GE Healthcare is offering a free Mother's Day card, which includes a Mother's Day message and simple tips for the prevention of heart disease.

"Instead of giving your mother chocolates or taking her out for an all-you-can-eat brunch, people might want to use Mother's Day as an opportunity to give their mother the best gift of all, a heart-to-heart talk about heart disease prevention and early detection," said Dr. James Rippe, a cardiologist, author and the spokesperson for GE Healthcare's Heart Health Program.

Rippe adds that an estimated one in three women will die of cardiovascular disease. In fact, heart disease impacts more women than the top three cancers combined; and will kill more women in the U.S. each year than all other diseases combined. Yet, according to the recent GE study, more than 60 percent of Americans don't perceive heart disease as a major threat to the women in their families.

Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that more than 80 percent of heart disease is preventable. "It's a proven fact that heart disease prevention and early detection saves lives. Every woman in America should have a simple plan in place for herself and her family," said Dr. Rippe. According to Dr. Rippe, physicians have better diagnostic tools – like innovative technologies from GE – than ever before to help detect, diagnose and monitor the disease.