Gender Gap in Heart Health: Closing the Gap Could Improve Quality of Life and Boost EconomyGender Gap in Heart Health: Closing the Gap Could Improve Quality of Life and Boost Economy A forthcoming report from the American Heart Association (AHA) reveals that closing the gender gaps in heart health could significantly enhance the quality of life and boost the economy. Key Findings: * Closing these gaps could add 1.6 million years of quality of life. * The economy could benefit by $28 billion annually by 2040. * Women are more likely to die from heart attacks than men, and high blood pressure increases significantly in women aged 45-65. Call to Action: The AHA report emphasizes the need for: * Earlier diagnosis and increased treatment * Specific focus on pregnancy, menopause, and Black women * A lifespan approach to address hormonal changes and health risks throughout a woman’s life Pregnancy and Menopause: * Pregnancy can strain a woman’s heart and increase risks for heart disease. * Menopause also increases heart disease risk, especially for women with severe hot flashes. Racial Disparities: * Black women face higher prevalence and complications from heart disease. * The report calls for addressing structural racism and health-related social needs. Implications: * Improving women’s heart health has far-reaching benefits. * It is essential to recognize differences in risk factors between women and prioritize tailored care. * Collaboration between healthcare providers, policymakers, and community organizations is crucial.
Closing the gaps could add 1.6 million years to the quality of life, the group says.
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June 24, 2024, 12:46 PM ET
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A forthcoming report from the American Heart Association estimates that closing the gaps in women’s heart health could add 1.6 million years of quality of life and boost the economy by $28 billion per year by 2040.
The report calls for earlier diagnosis and increased treatment, in addition to specific attention to pregnancy, menopause and among Black women, to effectively close the gender gap in heart health for the more than 60 million women living with heart disease in the United States to live.
The report will be published later this month in the journal Circulation and builds on previous research done in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute and the World Economic Forum, the AHA said.
ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a board-certified physician in obstetrics and gynecology and obesity medicine, reported this dire call to action today in an exclusive first look on “Good Morning America.”
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“The American Heart Association is really calling loudly, even shouting, to close the gender gap when you look at heart disease,” Ashton said.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but there are some key areas that disproportionately affect women compared to their male counterparts. According to the report, women are more likely to die from a heart attack than men, and women between the ages of 45 and 65 have the greatest increase in high blood pressure.
The AHA report calls for a lifespan approach to effectively close these gaps and highlights two important life stages for women: pregnancy and menopause, “two crucial hormonal times in a woman’s life,” Ashton said.
“It’s time to connect the dots of these hormonal times,” she added.
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Pregnancy puts extra strain on a woman’s heart and can be linked to health problems such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, which increase a woman’s risk for heart disease, in addition to poor pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia and premature birth.
Many preventable maternal deaths are the result of heart disease. The AHA report calls for prevention of maternal deaths through improved access to care, treatment and monitoring during the period surrounding pregnancy.
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Women are also at increased risk for heart disease during and after menopause. Research has shown that women with severe hot flashes during menopause have a higher risk of heart disease than men of a similar age. The AHA report calls for better research to better understand this increased risk and to help find better treatments.
Differences also exist between women. There are more black women with heart disease than non-black women, and there are more complications from heart disease. The report calls for ending racial disparities in heart health by recognizing the role of structural racism, addressing biases and health-related social needs, and aligning the health care system to better care for these communities.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Ashton said.
Dr. Jade A Cobern, MD, MPH, a licensed and practicing physician board-certified in pediatrics and preventive medicine, is a medical fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit.
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