According to findings published by two new studies, while the number of heart attacks in middle aged women are at an all time high and steadily rising, the risk of death post a heart attack is improving for women in contrast to men who still stand more chances of dying from a cardiac arrest.

In an editorial that accompanies the two studies, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Sabine Oertelt-Prigione, MD, and Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, MD, PhD, of Charité Universitaetsmedizin, Berlin, write, "Cardiovascular illnesses have been long neglected in their role as the primary cause of mortality in women, both by patients and physicians.
As these studies show, increased and continuous vigorous attention to the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors -- by healthy diet, regular physical activity, and avoidance of smoke and smoking -- is necessary for both men and women".

Combined, the studies took into consideration over 8,000 subject and discovered that men aged between 35 and 54 were more prone to, and had more, heart attacks from years 1988 to 1994 and 1999 to 2004. The gap has, however, narrowed in recent years and women are now at an increased risk as well.