Dr. Jagdish Hiremath –
Cardiologist, Pune.
Conclusions
A) Low pro-activeness on heart care.
B) Myths about Heart diseases.
C) Need for easier access to Heart health education.
A ) Low level of pro-activeness on heart care
- Fewer women in the younger age group take initiatives
for proactive exercise routine.
- Health check ups are taken by women only whenever
there is a health problem.
B
) Myths about Heart diseases
- Though basic level of awareness about heart disease
mong urban Indian
women is satisfactory there are
certain myths about heart disease among
women.
The study has brought to light some myths about heart disease among Indian women.
Myth:
- Women are least prone to heart diseases as compared to other diseases
like breast cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes.
The Reality:
- Women are more prone to heart disease than cancer osteoporosis. In
fact, more women the world over succumb to heart disease than any
other disease.
Myth:
- High stress working environment is the key cause for heart ailments.
The Reality:
- Post menopause, women become highly prone to heart ailments owing to
the absence of the protective female hormone progesterone.
Myth:
- Younger women feel secure about their health consciousness and their
health awareness levels.
The Reality:
- The fact is initiative to take proactive measure for heart care is low
among younger women than the women in the higher age group.
C
) Need for easier access to Heart health education
-
There is rising need for knowledge dissemination about pro-active heart care to keep up with the increasing need for higher awareness and
know-how on proactive heart care.
-
Easier availability of information will help women understand the magnitude of the heart disease problem.
Comparative conclusions with Mumbai
Health consciousness related:
-
Higher percentages of women follow a regular exercise routine in Pune as
compared to Mumbai.
Awareness on Heart disease:
-
Awareness about Coronary artery disease is more appreciable in Mumbai
-
Awareness about key ailments of heart diseases is slightly better among women in Pune as compared to Mumbai. This is due to higher mentions of ( compared to Mumbai ) 'women with diabetes' and 'menopause' as causes of heart ailments.
General - Health information related:
-
Spread of information through the word-of-mouth medium is higher in Pune.

The 'My Fit Heart
'Initiative<:
The 'My Fit Heart' program, has initiated some measures to spread awareness about heart diseases among women in India through various methods like Life Style management workshops at corporates, cardiologist talk sessions in various organizations & clubs like the Rotary clubs, research studies, similar to this women & heart care survey, health camps in large residential complexes and information dissemination through education literature and publications.