GO RED FOR WOMEN ® KEY MESSAGES AND FACT BANK 2021/22

Narrative

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer of women. It claims more women’s lives
than all forms of cancer combined. Losing one woman to cardiovascular disease is one
too many.

Women experience unique stages through their lives which affect both overall health
and cardiovascular health. Unique risk factors specific to women are:

• Pregnancy - Pregnancy can lead to cardiovascular conditions (including

peripartum cardiomyopathy, stroke, heart attack) as well as adverse pregnancy
outcomes (gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes)
that can increase a woman’s risk for CVD later in life. Therefore, it’s vital that
women are healthy before, during and after their pregnancy, both for
themselves and their baby.
• Menopause - While menopause does not cause cardiovascular disease, a
woman’s CVD risk is higher following menopause, making it vital for women to
take charge of their health in the years leading up to and during menopause.

Women, especially Black and Hispanic women, are disproportionally impacted by

heart disease and stroke and research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger
women. Yet younger generations of women, Gen Z and Millennials, are less likely to be
aware of their greatest health threat, including knowing the warning signs of heart
attacks and strokes. That’s why it’s important for all women to take charge of their
heart health and encourage others to do the same. Losing even one woman to
cardiovascular disease is too many.

Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative and
is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and
serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.
Call to Action

We want to inspire women with this call to action (CTA):

One is too many: Losing one woman to heart disease or stroke is too many.

• Awareness is critical. All women need to know that cardiovascular disease is the
No. 1 killer of women.
• “Know Your Numbers” – the key personal health numbers that help determine
risk for heart disease: total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body
mass index.
• Know your family history and talk to your doctor about heart disease and
stroke.
• Take charge of your health to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease with tools
and resources from Go Red for Women on physical activity, healthy eating,
controlling blood pressure and managing sleep and stress.

Key Facts and Statistics

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer of women. It claims more women’s lives
t han all forms of cancer combined.1 It affects women in some of the following ways:

1. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S., or

more simply put, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms.2
2. Nearly 60% of stroke deaths are in women3
a. Each year, ≈55000 more females than males have a stroke 4
3. The majority of deaths from high blood pressure are in women (nearly 52%) 5
a. The elimination of hypertension could reduce CVD mortality by 38%
among females6
4. Women in their 30s and 40s are more than twice as likely to die from
cardiovascular diseases than breast cancer 7

1
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/women.htm
2
Petersen EE, Davis NL, Goodman D, et al. Vital Signs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths, United States, 2011–2015, and Strategies for Prevention, 13 States,
2013–2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:423–429. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6818e1
3
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950 - Page 258, Sub heading ‘Stroke Mortality’
4
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 247, subheading ‘sex’
5
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950 - page 137 Table 8-1
6
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950 - page 134, sub heading ‘Mortality’ from page 133
7
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2017 on CDC WONDER Online
Database, released December, 2018. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999 -2017, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital
statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html
The Four Pillars of Go Red for Women
Through four key areas, the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women are
addressing the barriers women face to good health and well-being:

Ensure All Women are Aware

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer of women. It claims more women’s lives
t han all forms of cancer combined.8

Women of color bear the burden of cardiovascular disease

1. Black females had a hospitalization rate of 240% more for heart failure, and
Hispanic women had a hospitalization rate of 55% more for the same compared
to white women.9
2. Stroke is the third leading cause of death among Black women, and they are
more likely to die from a stroke than non-Hispanic white women or Hispanics in
the United States.10
3. Black women face greater risk of developing high blood pressure, having a stroke
and complications during or immediately after pregnancy. 11
4. Black and Hispanic women were the least likely to meet guidelines for aerobic
physical exercise12
5. Low income American Indian, Alaskan Native and Black women are more likely
to smoke than Hispanic and White women13

Help Women Take Charge of Their Health

The majority of cardiac and stroke events can be prevented through education and
lifestyle changes such as moving more, eating smart and managing blood pressure.

1. Being physically active is an important aspect of overall health. Meeting

recommendations for physical activity not only reduces premature mortality but
also improves risk factors for cardiovascular disease.14
a. Only 20% of women met the 2018 Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for
both aerobic and strengthening.15
2. The American Heart Association and the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services’ 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adult

8
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/women.htm
9
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950- Page 468, subheading ‘Social Determinants’
10
https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/women.htm
11
Petersen EE, Davis NL, Goodman D, et al. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Deaths — United States, 2007–2016. MMWR Morb Mortal
Wkly Rep 2019;68:762–765. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6835a3
12
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 66, table 4-7
13
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 39, Sub-heading ‘adults’
14
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, Page 54
15
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, Page 63, table 4-1
 women get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity or 75 minutes of
vigorous activity (or a combination of those activities).
3. In addition, two days per week of moderate- to high-intensity muscle-
strengthening activity is recommended.16

Healthy eating is critical to preventing CVD in women.

1. About 15% deaths in the world are due to poor nutrition 17.
a. Black women consume the most added sugars of all female
demographics.18
b. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300
milligrams (mg) of salt a day and moving toward an ideal limit of no
more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults19

More than half of deaths from high blood pressure were in women.

1. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the second leading cause of preventable

heart disease and stroke death — second only to smoking.
2. More women than men age 65 and older have hypertension. 20
3. From 2008 to 2018, the death rate attributable to HBP increased 27.0%, and the
actual number of deaths attributable to HBP rose 57.2% 21.

Nearly 70% of adult women in the USA are overweight or obese22

1. Black and Hispanic women are more likely to be obese than white women. 23

Engaging More Women in Research and STEM Careers

Women are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

(STEM) fields.

1. Women occupy nearly half of all U.S. jobs (48%), but only 27% of jobs in STEM
fields. 24
a. Women have made gains – from 8% of STEM workers in 1970 to 27% in
201925

16
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950 , Page 54
17
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 87, subheading ‘Global Burden’
18
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 76, ‘Dietary Habits in the United States’
19
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/how-much-sodium-should-i-eat-per-day
20
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 128
21
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 133, heading ‘Mortality’
22
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, Page 105, table 6-1
23
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950, page 99, subheading ‘prevalence – Adults’
24
Women Making Gains in STEM Occupations but Still Underrepresented (census.gov)
25
Ibid
 2. Representation of women in STEM varies across STEM fields. Women represent
nearly three-fourths (74%) of health-related jobs, the highest among STEM
fields.26
a. Women represent around 30% of the world’s researchers. 27
3. In the next decade (2020 – 2030), the healthcare and social assistance sector is
projected to add the most jobs of all industry sectors, about 3.3 million jobs.
Factors that are expected to contribute to the large increase include rising
demand for the care of an aging baby-boom population, longer life
expectancies, and continued growth in the number of patients with chronic
conditions.28
4. Education and STEM Degrees
a. Women now earn a majority of all undergraduate and advanced degrees,
but they remain a small share of degree earners in certain STEM fields like
engineering and computer science – areas where they are significantly
underrepresented in the work force.
b. Across all degree levels, women make up majorities of degree recipients in
health-related fields and in the life sciences, which includes studies in
agriculture, environmental sciences and biology.
c. Black and Hispanic adults are less likely to earn degrees in STEM than
other degree fields, and they continue to make up a lower share of STEM
graduates relative to their share of the adult population. 29

More work is needed to close gender disparity gaps when it comes to CVD research and
clinical trials participation.

1. There are significant biological differences between men and women 30.
a. Clinical trials have not always adequately enrolled women or analyzed
sex-specific differences in the data.
b. More younger women than men are having heart attacks31.
2. As of 2020, only 38% of cardiovascular clinical research trial participants are
women.32
3. To ensure women are represented in research the AHA:

26
STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity | Pew Research Center
27
How many women work in STEM? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
28
Bureau of Labor Statistics US Department of Labor Press Release Announcing Updated OOH and Projections on Sept. 8, 2021 Employment
Projections 2020-2030 (bls.gov) Page 5
29
Pew Research Center, April 1, 2021 STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity | Pew Research Center
30
Liu KA, DiPietro Mager NA. Women’s involvement in clinical trials: historical perspective and future implications.
Pharmacy Practice 2016 Jan-Mar;14(1):708. doi: 10.18549/PharmPract.2016.01.708 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4800017/
31
Arora S, Stouffer GA, Kucharska-Newton AM, et al.Circulation. 2019;139:1047–1056. Twenty Year Trends and Sex Differences in Young Adults
Hospitalized with Acute Myocardial Infarction: The ARIC Community Surveillance Study.
https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037137Circulation Published Feb. 19, 2019
32
Women still underrepresented in clinical research, science and medicine that could save them from their No. 1 killer | American Heart Association
 a. In 2019, the AHA Launched Research Goes Red, a collaboration with
Verily’s Project Baseline, to engage more women in research and create
the world’s most engaged and largest women’s health registry and
platform for research.
i. Today, Research Goes Red is actively conducting research on a
variety of topics critical to women’s health.
ii. Learn more and Join Research Goes Red today at
projectbaseline.com/studies/gored
b. In 2017, the AHA made the organizational decision that it will not fund
research that did not include women.

Remove Barriers Women Face to Good Health

D isparities continue to persist when it comes to symptom recognition, treatment times

and even lifesaving support measures.

1. Once at the hospital, women experience a 20% longer wait time than men, from
arrival to the moment they begin receiving care. 33
2. Women with chest pain were less likely than men to receive aspirin or be
transported with lights and sirens, and women with cardiac arrest were less likely
to be resuscitated.34
3. Women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR 35.
4. Research shows that women are potentially more likely to survive a heart attack
if their doctor is female.36

33
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048015, Page 4, ‘Baseline Characteristics’
34
Lewis, JF, Zeger SL, Li, X, et. Al. Gender Differences in the Quality of EMS Care Nationwide for Chest Pain and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest .
December 10, 2018 Women’s Health Issues. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2018.10.007
35
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/men-more-likely-to-receive-bystander-cpr-in-public-than-women
36
Greenwood BN, Carnahan S, Huang L. Patient-physician gender concordance and increased mortality among female heart attack patients.
PNAS. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/07/31/1800097115 Published August 6, 2018.
More information

Life Stages
Beyond our key messages and facts, Go Red for Women is shifting to focus on
addressing the unique needs of women in different life stages.

New Resources

1. Pregnancy and Maternal Heath – Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of

maternal mortality. Furthermore, certain pregnancy related conditions can
increase a woman’s risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. Having a health
pregnancy is critical for both mom and baby.
a. Maternal Health Key Messages
b. GoRedforWomen.org/Pregnancy
2. Menopause - Going through menopause does not cause cardiovascular disease.
But the approach of menopause marks a point in midlife when women's
cardiovascular risk factors can accelerate and focusing on overall health is
crucial.
3. Menopause resources
4. Mom Life - Whether it’s recipes your picky eater will love, ideas on how to get
your teen more active or quick ways you can de-stress (even when it’s just for five
minutes alone in the car), we’ve got you.