This article highlights that women's heart failure risk is influenced by both traditional factors like hypertension and obesity, and sex-specific factors such as reproductive history and hormonal changes, emphasizing the importance of holistic, gender-tailored prevention and early risk identification.
Despite heart disease being the leading cause of death for women, awareness has declined, especially among young women and women of color. Five cardiologists are advocating for increased awareness and proactive measures, emphasizing the importance of advocating for one's own heart health, recognizing pregnancy complications as a risk factor, understanding the safety and efficacy of cholesterol-lowering medications, seeking heart disease screenings before symptoms appear, and considering holistic risk factors, particularly for women of color.
The American Heart Association is promoting National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of women's heart health. Dr. Jon LaPook emphasizes the importance of recognizing heart attack warning signs and understanding risk factors for women.
National "Wear Red Day" on Friday, Feb. 2, aims to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in women. People across the country will wear red to support women's heart health and raise awareness of heart disease and stroke. Women account for over 57% of total stroke deaths and it is the number one killer of new mothers. Supporters can use the hashtag #GoRedTriad on social media to raise awareness and donate to the American Heart Association to support their mission.