Facts About Women and Heart Disease

• Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women each year, claiming more than 500,000 lives.



• In the United States, all cardiovascular diseases claim more women's lives every year than the next seven causes of death combined - and almost twice as many as all forms of cancer.



• Every year since 1984, more women than men have died of cardiovascular disease.



• It is estimated that one in two women will die of heart disease or stroke, compared with one in 30 who will die of breast cancer.



• Thirty-eight percent of women compared with 25 percent of men will die within one year after having a heart attack.
• The death rate due to cardiovascular disease for African-American women is 69 percent higher than that of white women.



• Women with diabetes are four times more likely than men to develop heart disease.



• Smoking is the most prevalent and preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women younger than 45.



• Fewer than three in 10 women perceive heart disease as their greatest health threat.



• Nearly 50 percent of women older than 45 have high blood pressure and an elevated total cholesterol level - both well-documented risk factors.



• The economic cost of cardiovascular diseases and stroke in 2001 is estimated at $298.2 billion. The true cost in human terms of suffering and lost lives is incalculable.

Sources:

National Center for Health Statistics
American Heart Association - Heart and Stroke Statistical Update, National Survey of Women and Heart Disease
National Institutes of Health - National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
The National Women's Health Information Center - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
VHA Inc. Proprietary Research, Clinical Advantage Outreach Initiatives: Women and Heart Disease conducted by Market Strategies Inc. Health care Research and Consulting