The Lancet Women and Cardiovascular Disease Commission
In a global report published today, 17 experts from 11 different countries have called for urgent action to address inequities in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in women.
Women and Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women. The Lancet women and cardiovascular disease Commission: reducing the global burden by 2030 aims to connect stakeholders, ignite global awareness of sex-related and gender-related disparities in cardiovascular disease, and to provide a springboard for future research.
Read the full commission, and see some key outcomes below.
The Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in Women
Decades of grassroots campaigns have helped to raise awareness about the magnitude of cardiovascular disease in women. However, despite the influence of social and cultural progress and awareness, there has been confounding stagnation in the overall reduction of cardiovascular disease burden for women.
Risk Factors
Early detection and management of cardiovascular risk factors remain paramount for improving women’s cardiovascular health and reducing premature mortality.
There is strong evidence that important established risk factors contribute to ischaemic heart disease. However, many other important under-recognised risks—including psychological, social, economic, and cultural factors that are often influenced by gender—appear to contribute to cardiovascular disease in women.
Women in Cardiovascular Trials
It is widely acknowledged that appropriate representation of women in clinical trials is crucial to gain knowledge about sex-related differences in optimal treatment and to improve outcomes in patients of both sexes. Historically, women have been under-represented and often excluded from clinical trial participation.
The Commission lays out recommendations for increasing the proportion of women in cardiovascular trials.
