It Makes a Difference

Know the facts:

  • Currently we are losing a woman a minute to heart disease.

  • Heart diseases NOW kills more women than men.

  • More women die of heart disease than all the cancers combined.

  • Nearly two-thirds of the deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain.

  • Black women suffer rates of heart disease that are twice as high as those among white women

  • Hispanic women face heart disease nearly 10 years earlier than Caucasian women.

  • Depression is twice as common in women as in men, and increases the risk of heart disease by two to three times compared with women who are not depressed regardless of race, ethnicity or economic background.

  • Young pregnant women who suffer from preeclampsia or gestational diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease.

  • 71% of women experience early warning signs of heart attack with sudden onset of extreme weakness that feels like flu; symptoms include sweating, nausea, neck pain, jaw pain, and exhaustion.

  • Nearly two-thirds of the deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain.

  • Marital stress worsens the prognosis in women with heart disease.

  • The highest growing segment of heart disease is occurring in young pregnant women.

  • Women’s hearts respond better than men’s to healthy lifestyle changes, yet only 2% of the NIH budget is dedicated to prevention.