Heart Disease

• The facts
• Our activities
• Other resources

The numbers

• Heart disease kills more American women under 45 than any other single disease, including breast cancer.
  


• More than half-a-million women die from heart disease every year.
  


• Women's warning signs for heart disease can be notably different than the "classic" symptoms for men; women report subtler signs, such as unusual fatigue, sleeplessness, shortness of breath, indigestion and unexplained anxiety.
  


• Over 63% of women who die from heart disease have no previous symptoms.
  


• Women are less likely than men to receive aggressive medical treatment for heart disease, and are more likely than men to die from it.
  


• 38% of women - compared with 25% of men - will die within one year following a heart attack.

Sources: American Heart Association.

Risk factors for heart disease you CAN'T change.

• Family history
  


• Growing older
  

Risk factors for heart disease you CAN change.

• Smoking
  


• Physical inactivity
  


• Being overweight or obese
  


• High blood pressure
  


• High blood cholesterol levels
  


• Diabetes mellitus

Other contributing risk factors for heart disease.

• Stress

Taking action

The Governor's Commission for Women is active in the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women initiative. The national awareness and education campaign calls for women to take charge of their heart health to live stronger, longer lives. For more information about Go Red events happening in Texas, click here.

Related resources

• American Heart Association - Women & Cardiovascular Disease
  A sub-site which includes information on the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women initiative, fitness and nutrition for heart health, risk factors and signs of heart disease, and information for physicians.
  www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200011


• Mended Hearts
  Mended Hearts is a national nonprofit organization affiliated with the American Heart Association, which offers the gift of hope to heart disease patients, their families and caregivers.
  www.mendedhearts.org


• The Heart Truth
  A national campaign sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and partner organizations to make women more aware of the danger of heart disease.
  www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth


• Texas Department of State Health Services Cardiovascular Health and Wellness Program
  The Cardiovascular Health and Wellness Program helps other entities develop policy and implement environmental changes to decrease heart disease and stroke risk factors, and increase opportunities for Texans to establish a heart-and-stroke-healthy lifestyle.
  www.dshs.state.tx.us/wellness/default.htm


• Texas Heart Institute - Women & Heart Disease
  The Texas Heart Institute works to reduce the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease by providing reliable information.
  www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Topics/Hsmart/women.cfm


• Austin Heart Foundation
  The Austin Heart Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by Texas' biggest cardiology group to help reduce the devastation of cardiovascular disease for all Texans through education, independent research and life-saving technology.
  www.austinheartfoundation.com


• Heart Disease & Heart Attacks - What Women Need to Know
  Health information from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
  familydoctor.org/287.xml


• National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
  A nonprofit organization working to decrease death and disability among women resulting from heart disease.
  www.womenheart.org


• womenshealth.gov: Heart & Cardiovascular Disease
  Health information from the National Women's Health Information Center.
  www.4woman.gov/faq/heartdis.htm


• National Women's Health Resource Center - Heart Disease
  Information about heart disease diagnosis, prevention and treatment from the national clearinghouse for women's health information.
  www.healthywomen.org/Page.do?pageCode=healthcenter-heartdisease


• Research on Cardiovascular Disease in Women
  Summarized findings from current research projects of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality focusing on cardiovascular disease in women.
  www.ahrq.gov/research/womheart.pdf


• American Stroke Association
  A division of the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association focuses on reducing risk, disability and death from stroke through research, education, fundraising and advocacy.
  www.strokeassociation.org