GO RED FOR WOMEN® FAST FACTS
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, claiming the lives of one in three women.
- Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, taking more lives than all forms of cancer combined.
- Cardiovascular diseases kill one woman about every 80 seconds. But about 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented.
- More than 50 percent of women are aware that heart disease is their leading cause of death.
- More than one in three women is living with some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- About 4 million stroke survivors alive today are women.
- 2. Physical activity reduces women’s risk for heart disease and stroke.
- Being physically active is an important aspect of overall health for women.
- Globally, about one in three women don’t get enough physical activity.
- In the United States, only one in five women are getting the recommended amount of physical activity (both aerobic and strength training) under federal guidelines.
- Healthy eating is critical to managing weight and preventing cardiovascular disease in women.
- About one in five female deaths in the world are due to poor nutrition.
- About 45 percent of U.S. deaths caused by heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes are because of poor dietary habits, such as high sodium intake, high sugary drink consumption and low intake of fruits and vegetables.
- Too much sodium can raise blood pressure. High blood pressure raises the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
- Sugary drink consumption is directly linked to Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- More than 66 percent of women are overweight or obese.
- High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the second leading cause of preventable heart disease and stroke death — second only to smoking.
- Under the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology’s 2017 guidelines, nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure at 130/80 mm Hg rather than 140/90.
- Hypertension rates are expected to double among women under age 45.
- About 50 million women have hypertension in the United States.
- More than 30 percent of cardiovascular events in women are due to hypertension.
- Women are grossly underrepresented in research and STEM fields.
- Women occupy nearly half of all U.S. jobs, but less than 25 percent of jobs in STEM fields.
- Only about 20 percent of STEM bachelor’s degrees are earned by women.
- Only three out of 100 female bachelor’s degree students continue to work in STEM fields after graduating.
- Clinical trials have not always adequately enrolled women or analyzed sex-specific differences in the data.
- Female heart attack patients may have better outcomes when treated by female physicians.
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