Women’s Cardiovascular Health:
Challenges & Opportunities

You know the facts. From the prevalence of heart disease in women (killing over 450,000 each year) to the dramatic healthcare costs of cardiovascular disease (estimated at $475.3 billion in 2009—over twice the total for cancer care), cardiovascular health presents major challenges.¹

The challenges include a lack of awareness among most women—and some physicians—about the symptoms, risk factors, treatment options and other critical information regarding heart disease. Disease presentation in women may be of more atypical or vague symptoms. In addition, underestimation of cardiac risk, misinterpretation of symptoms and the difficulty of diagnosis all contribute to the pervasiveness of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in women, and compromise the care and treatment of female patients.

THE OPPORTUNITIES to improve women’s heart health are many, from empowering women through awareness that can reduce risk factors and education about atypical/vague symptoms that could be related to cardiovascular disease, to managing CVD through medical knowledge and strategies. By tailoring diagnosis and treatment for women, the risk of coronary events may decrease and outcomes will improve.

For you and your patients, the shared goal is to raise the standard of care, and together take charge of women’s heart health.

1. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2005 Update/womensheart.org

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