Heart Disease is the Leading Killer of Women Worldwide, Surpassing Cancer: AHA

• Cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death for women worldwide, causing more deaths in women each year than any other disease
• Cardiovascular disease death rates are higher than the death rates for all of the cancers
• The American Heart Association reminds us that this silent epidemic is still taking the lives of millions of women each year, and this occurs without them being identified early on

Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death among women worldwide, and kills more women than cancer. The American Heart Association (AHA) describes this as a silent epidemic that has killed more people than all cancers combined and is a call to action for research and interventions surrounding women's heart health.

Research in women's heart health has been challenging because all disease presentations, risk factors, and responses treatment and drugs can differ based on sex and gender. Most science has focused on the physiological, genetic, and socio-environmental drivers of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among women, and/or differences from men.

The AHA, an internationally recognized expert on heart health awareness and research, is significantly increasing its response to this challenge. It is taking a multidimensional response by engaging in biomedical research of the highest order and opportunities for community engagement with the goal of involving people (individuals and communities) in awareness, diagnosis and eradicating treatment gaps.

In raising the profile of the understanding of female cardiovascular health, the Association seeks to transform clinical practice and change outcomes for women who are frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated.

The recent gift of $3 million by Lee and Valerie Shapiro is a terrific catalyst for these initiatives as they are leading venture philanthropists and stars as long-term friends of the AHA. The gift will enable us to support the Mother's Day matching gift campaign and also provides a huge boost to the Go Red for Women® Venture Fund in terms of stimulating innovation through funding early-stage ventures that are developing new diagnostics, treatments and technology solutions for women's heart health.