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Heart Stories Session 1 - Mayo Clinic

2,213 views · Published 2 March 2011 · 1:23:53 · Indexed 4 November 2026

Channel: Mayo Clinic · 2011 · Science & Technology

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As part of a Special Briefing for News Media at The Paley Center for Media in New York , hosted by Mayo Clinic's Dr. Sharonne Hayes, in conjunction with National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart  Disease one panel discussion was held, What Ails a Young Woman's Heart.

Young women and heart disease? It's not on everyone's radar screen, but it should be . The number one killer of women in the United States, also impacts women of child bearing age. Over 40,000 have heart problems during pregnancy, while others have pre-existing conditions -- obesity, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure -- that affect pregnancy and the health of children born of those pregnancies. Overall, 47 million women are at risk for heart disease. Over a half million women die from heart disease annually.

A panel of experts showcased these problems in New York on Tuesday during a media briefing on women and heart disease sponsored by Mayo Clinic and the Paley Center for Media.  Moderator Soledad O'Brien of CNN emphasized that this topic is critical for journalists to understand and wondered why people aren't "screaming about it in the streets," given the number of people who die every year.

Dr. Heidi Connolly of Mayo Clinic told the audience that many women with heart disease can have successful pregnancies provided they have proper medical care. One type of problem, congenital heart disease -- a condition present since birth -- is one that doesn't preclude pregnancy with proper care, but a small percentage of those mothers can pass on the condition.  

Dr. Elizabeth Ofili of Morehouse Medical School in Atlanta caught everyone's attention with her first statement: "One woman dies of heart disease for every minute we are sitting here."  

Dr. Nakela Cook of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute shared her concerns about  health care delivery, making the point that not all improvements in cardiac care are being shared equally across the country or across disparate populations. In other words, where you are living can impact your care. 

The fourth panelist, Dr. Rakesh Suri, talked about the advantages of minimally-invasive surgery for repairing heart defects in women.

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