Heart Disease Kills More Women Under 45

Graphic shows U.S. death rates from coronary heart disease; two sizes; 1c x 5 inches; 46.5 mm x 127 mm; 2c x 2 3/4 inches; 96.3 mm x 69.9 mm (Merrill Sherman - AP)

When they compared age groups, they detected the worrisome difference. The study found the death rate for women ages 35 to 44 rose from 1997 to 2002, when the rate was 8.2 per 100,000 women, the highest it's been since 1987.

In actual numbers, the increase amounts to roughly 100 added deaths a year of women in that age group. That's a relatively small impact in the entire U.S. population.

Still, the results are statistically significant and a legitimate cause for concern, said Dr. Wayne Giles, director of the CDC's division of adult and community health.

"That's like an MD-88 crashing every year," he said, referring to a medium-size commuter jet plane.

The rates for men age 35 to 44 were relatively stable in the last few years of the study period. The rate was 26 deaths per 100,000 men in that age group in 2002.

The fact the male rate didn't worsen may indicate doctors are more likely to suspect heart disease in men that age than in women, said the CDC's Dr. Earl Ford, a study co-author.

For all ages, the female death rate fell to 261 from 514 per 100,000; the male rate fell to 430 from 898 per 100,000.

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On the Net:

Journal of the American College of Cardiology: http:// http://www.acc.org/JACC/Ford.pdf