Women & Heart Disease

Every woman needs to know about heart disease.

The Heart Truth is that heart disease is the #1 killer of American women. In fact, one in three women dies of heart disease. But heart disease also can lead to disability and a significantly decreased quality of life.

Unfortunately, most women don’t know The Heart Truth. Only about a third know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women.

And The Heart Truth is that women don’t take their risk of heart disease seriously - or personally. Women often fail to make the connection between risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and their own chance of developing heart disease.

To make women more aware of the danger of heart disease, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and partner organizations are sponsoring a national campaign called The Heart Truth. The campaign’s goal is to give women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk of heart disease.

The campaign tells women that “The Heart Truth starts with you. Talk to your doctor, find out your risk, and take action today to lower it.”

The campaign is especially aimed at women ages 40 to 60, the time when a woman’s risk of heart disease starts to rise. But its messages are also important for younger women, since heart disease develops gradually and can start at a young age - even in the teenage years.

Older women have an interest too - it’s never too late to take action to prevent and control the risk factors for heart disease. Even those who have heart disease can improve their heart health and quality of life.

Source: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute