Younger Women Heart Disease Risk: September 24, 2020: Heart disease is typically seen as a “man’s disease.” Many women are not aware that heart disease is the top killer of women in the United States.
About 300,000 women die of heart disease each year according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Heart disease causes 1 in 3 deaths each year,” cites Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. “That’s approximately one woman every minute and we are not just talking about older women.”
The latest national survey conducted by the American Heart Association found that only 44% of women knew heart disease is their top killer. The percentage is down substantially from 65% in 2009.
The awareness decline was concentrated among women younger than age 65, and was greater among Hispanic and Black women than it was for white women.
Findings of the study was published online Sept. 21 in Circulation. It compared results from online surveys the heart association conducted in 2009 and 2019. The research included more than 2,500 women in all, aged 25 and older.
Among women younger than 65, heart disease awareness dropped over the decade. When it came to awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death, the steepest declines were among women aged 25 to 34 (an 81% decline), Hispanic women (86% decline) and Black women (67% decline).
Younger Women Heart Disease Additional Information
The American Heart Association has valuable information specific to women. Learn about symptoms of a heart attack and stroke for women.
To learn more about heart disease risk read heart disease facts.
To get critical illness insurance rates, use the Association’s Cost Calculator as a good place to start.
