Women's heart health.

• Jurisdiction: Australia
• Author: Wilmore, Helen
• Date: 01 June 2012

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Women's health nurses have for many years had a clinical focus of Pap test screening and breast awareness while heart disease is the number one killer of Australian women.

The incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer has been successfully reduced by approximately 50% since the introduction of the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP). Breast awareness and the uptake of mammograms have increased nationally however women are four more times likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer. Despite improvements over the last few decades heart disease remains one of the biggest burdens on our economy.

Women's priority health...