Nearly half of women over age 45 who visit their obstetrician/gynecologist (Ob/Gyn) as their primary care provider are not being screened for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the No.1 killer of women, according to a recent survey.

Moreover, almost half of these women are at high risk for developing CVD, yet are not receiving treatment, the survey indicated.

High cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for developing CVD, which kills more than 500,000 women each year - more than all forms of cancer combined, according to the American Heart Association. Estimates show that one in two women will die of heart disease or stroke, compared with one in 27 who will die of breast cancer, which is perceived by women to be their greatest risk.

"Morbidity and mortality associated with heart disease is a major threat to women," said Dr. Daniel R. Mishell Jr., chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. "This survey is important because it alerts those Ob/Gyn practitioners, who many women consider to be their primary care physicians, of the need to conduct regular risk assessment with early intervention to treat the risk factors for heart disease."