Health literacy among women with coronary heart disease

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in Austria. In 2014 around 33000 people died from it with more women than men affected. Despite this fact awareness of the risk of cardiovascular disease among women is still not fully understood. The 'Yentl syndrome' describes how although more women die from heart attacks or strokes these diseases are more often attributed to men. The literature shows that there are many gender-specific differences at all levels of cardiovascular disease. These include the prevalence and severity of risk factors as well as the prevention and treatment of various cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to assess women's self-perception and health literacy with regard to cardiovascular disease. Self-perception as a high-risk patient and the presence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease were investigated.