Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 35% of deaths in women each year – more than all cancers combined. It can affect women of any age. Yet, CVD in women continues to be seriously understudied, under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and under-treated. This is primarily the result of various misconceptions, including the widespread view that cardiovascular disease affects men more than it does women.

Some heart disease symptoms in women can differ from those in men, which leads to women being more frequently misdiagnosed, or their symptoms dismissed as anxiety-related. The fact that women continue to be under-represented in clinical trials is one of the reasons why there is insufficient awareness among female patients and their doctors of sex-specific symptoms and presentations of CVD.

There is an urgent need for increased understanding of CVD in women among both healthcare professionals and the general public. The more women know about heart disease, the better chance they have of beating it.