The Enquirer

Efforts to educate more women about the risks of heart disease - the No. 1 cause of death in America - are showing some success.

A community survey conducted by the St. Luke Hospitals has found that 46 percent of Northern Kentucky women are aware that heart disease is the greatest health threat facing women.

The figure compares with 38 percent of women who were surveyed in September 2003.

The research is part of St. Luke's Women's HeartAdvantage Program, an initiative launched last year to educate women about preventing heart disease and recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack.

Both surveys interviewed 500 Northern Kentucky women ages 40 to 70.