Hormone therapy 'improving' heart attack survival rates
Melbourne researchers believe they have discovered a way to improve survival rates for women who have suffered a heart attack using hormone therapy.
Heart disease is the biggest killer of women in Australia, with four times as many dying from the disease than breast cancer.
Alarming figures show that almost 5,000 women die of a heart attack every year.
Women under the age of 65 are twice as likely to die soon after a heart attack than men, and more women die through heart failure within the first year after a heart attack than men.
Scientists at Melbourne University have found that manipulating the amount of the female hormone oestrogen could improve survival rate for women.
Melbourne University Professor Lea Delbridge said: "If the level of oestrogen is knocked right down in the heart, then actually surprisingly hearts recover better after a heart attack."
The Heart Foundation has funded the research and hopes it will save lives.
Heart Foundation CEO Lyn Roberts said: "We're really, really intrigued. It's a fantastic piece of research because it's unpacking some of that mystery about the role oestrogen might play."
Researchers hope their findings could lead to the creation of new drug treatments for women that could reduce oestrogen levels in the heart soon after heart attacks and improve recovery rates.
For more information visit the Heart Foundation website
