Heart disease is a significant threat to women, and a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association emphasizes the need for increased awareness and prevention strategies. Published in the special Go Red for Women issue of Circulation journal, the statement highlights heart disease as the leading cause of death for women and identifies gender-specific risk factors, including complications during pregnancy and premature menopause.
Compared to men, women exhibit different symptoms of heart disease, are less likely to receive evidence-based therapies, and are more prone to adverse cardiovascular outcomes after a cardiac event. The statement underscores the necessity for targeted public health interventions to raise awareness of heart disease risk among women and healthcare professionals, implement strategies to optimize heart health throughout women’s lifespans, and address social determinants of health to ensure equity in healthcare access and quality, particularly among Asian, Black, and Hispanic adults in the U.S.
The new scientific statement is featured in the special Go Red for Women issue of the American Heart Association journal, Circulation, coinciding with American Heart Month 2024. It highlights the critical need to focus on heart health for pregnant and post-partum women, emphasizing the substantial cardiovascular risk factors specific to women and the necessity to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes and achieve health equity, especially among women from diverse racial and ethnic groups or underrepresented communities.
