Cardiovascular disease claims more women's lives than the next seven causes of death combined - about 500,000 women a year, according to the American Heart Association. Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women. Every single minute, a woman dies from this disease, and, unlike other causes of death, such as breast cancer, you cannot see cardiovascular disease, usually until it's too late.

Facts about women and cardiovascular diseases - Courtesy of the American Heart Association
  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) ranks first among all disease categories in hospital discharges for women.
  • Over 40 percent of all female deaths in America occur from CVD, which includes coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
  • CVD is a particularly important problem among minority women. The death rate due to CVD is substantially higher in black women than in white women.
  • In 2001, CVD claimed the lives of 498,863 females; cancer (all forms combined) 266,693.
  • In 2001, coronary heart disease claimed the lives of 248,184 females compared with 41,394 lives from breast cancer and 65,632 from lung cancer.
  • 38 percent of women compared with 25 percent of men will die within one year after a heart attack.
  • Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability; an estimated 15 to 30 percent of stroke survivors are permanently disabled.
  • Misperceptions still exist that CVD is not a real problem for women.
Women lack understanding of their risks

A 2003 American Heart Association study of over 1,000 women conducted by Ham's Interactive, Inc. revealed the lack of understanding women have of the dangers of heart disease and stroke. According to the results, a mere 13 percent of women in America believe that heart disease and stroke are the greatest health threat to women. This reveals the lack of knowledge and understanding a majority of women have for their most serious health threat. In addition, despite the fact that minority women face the highest risk of death from heart disease and stroke, they have lower risk factor awareness.

Important facts about women's risk, diagnosis, and treatment
  • Risk of heart disease and stroke increases with age, and in the year 2001, over 43 million American women were 50 and older.
  • More women than men die of stroke.
  • Low blood levels of "good" cholesterol (high density lipoprotein or HDL) appears to be a stronger predictor of heart disease death in women than in men in the over 65 age group; high blood levels of triglycerides (another type of fat) may be a particularly important risk factor in women and the elderly.
  • Regular physical activity and a healthy weight reduce the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, which appears to be an even stronger contributing risk factor for heart disease in women than in men.
  • Diagnosis of heart disease presents a greater challenge in women than in men.
How to reduce your risk of heart disease

Through a partnership with The Heart Truth and the American Heart Association, Clothes for a Cause wants you to know what you can do to reduce your risks of dying from heart disease.

  • See your doctor regularly. And, have your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar (to screen for diabetes) tested. If any of these are too high, ask your doctor what you can do to lower them.
  • If you smoke, quit. Smoking causes plaque to build up in your arteries, and can greatly increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Just one year after quitting, your heart disease risk will drop by more than half.
  • If you're overweight, keep in mind that losing weight will help lower your risk of heart disease. Make a commitment to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day and eat a heart-healthy diet.

For more information on your risk of heart disease, please check the following sites: The Heart Truth at www.hearttruth.gov and the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org