USA Today Let s Hope COVID s Aftermath Is a Wake-Up Call That Ends Neglect of Women s Heart Health Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 01 March 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles USA Today Let s Hope COVID s Aftermath Is a Wake-Up Call That Ends Neglect of Women s Heart Health Barbra Streisand advocates for women's heart health research. Photo courtesy of Barbra Streisand. USA Today recently featured an opinion article written by actor, entertainer and philanthropist Barbra Streisand, and Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, about the persistent neglect of women's heart health in the U.S. Streisand and Bairey Merz first joined forces a decade ago to combat deficits in research, treatment and prevention of women's heart disease, which is the #1 killer of women in the U.S. Deaths from heart disease have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, but awareness and education have not increased. Women must learn about the unique signs of heart attack that they could experience: jaw pain, shortness of breath, backache, extreme fatigue, nausea and dizziness—"far from the stereotypical image of a man clutching his chest in pain," Streisand and Bairey Merz wrote in their USA Today article. They note that the number of women dying of heart disease has risen each year over the past decade. For example, research conducted at the Smidt Heart Institute found that Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or "broken heart syndrome"—a stress-related event similar to a heart attack—is increasing disproportionately among women. Streisand and Bairey Merz also expect the COVID-19 pandemic will have a devastating impact on women's heart health. The coronavirus directly affects the cardiovascular system, and a "cresting wave of cardiovascular illness likely will fall disproportionately on women, especially women of color and low-income women," they wrote. To raise awareness, they proposed a federally supported campaign to educate women about gender differences in symptoms and treatment of cardiovascular disease. "There is no more time—and no more excuses," Streisand and Bairey Merz wrote. Click here to read the complete opinion column from USA Today. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release USA Today Let s Hope COVID s Aftermath Is a Wake-Up Call That Ends Neglect of Women s Heart Health Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home