The Underappreciated Impact of Heart Disease

The 2009 recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force regarding mammography have called attention to the roles of prevention and screening in promoting women's health. We take this opportunity to raise awareness of another devastating illness in women, ischemic heart disease, and to suggest that screening for ischemic heart disease, by providing early detection and identifying women who would benefit most from intensified medical therapy, merits consideration.