On the occasion of the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, this May 28, the spotlights turn to an unknown health emergency: cardiovascular disease. First cause of mortality in women in the world, they remain dramatically underdiagnosed and poorly taken care of. It’s time to act.
The hearts of women in danger: an underestimated global scourge
Each year, more than 8.5 million women die from cardiovascular disease, according to the World Health Organization. This represents 35 % of total female mortality. And yet, women remain the big forgotten on cardiology, victims of a double penalty: a deficit in medical recognition and inequalities in access to even more marked care in countries with low or intermediate income.
In France as elsewhere, the biological, hormonal and social specificities of women are too little taken into account. “”Women’s health is not sufficiently integrated into current cardiology“, Alerts Prof. Martine Gilard, renowned cardiologist and president of the Council of Valvular Diseases of the European Cardiology Society.
Ignored signals, a more serious prognosis: the urgency of a differentiated approach
Long perceived as a male disease, heart pathologies kill six times more women than breast cancer. This paradox is explained by a delay in care, a lack of information, and the absence of a prevention adapted to the key stages of female life: contraception, pregnancy, menopause.
The observation is even more alarming among young women: 25 % of victims of heart attacks are not menopausal, and their number has increased by 25 % in ten years. Endometriosis, chronic stress, violence, obstetric complications … so many specific factors still too little taken into account in cardiovascular follow -up.
Train, include, raise awareness: the levers of a necessary change
Faced with this silent crisis, Professor Gilard calls for a paradigm shift. It pleads for a gendered approach to cardiology, which goes through:
- Training of professionals at female cardiovascular risks;
- Better representation of women in clinical trials;
- And targeted prevention at key moments in hormonal life.
“”What we will do in France will benefit women around the world“, She insists, while other countries, such as the United States, have abandoned certain policies in favor of cardiovascular health of women.
The Coeur and Research Foundation, through the voice of its general delegate Élisabeth Riboud, is also committed: “We must pave the way for a fairer, more inclusive and more efficient medicine for women.”
About the Heart and Research Foundation: The Heart and Research Foundation, created by the French Cardiology Society, is dedicated to the support of French cardiovascular research and awareness of the general public. Our mission is to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in France by supporting and funding progress in research. Thus, we support cardiovascular research projects that highlight the importance of physical activity. A France that remains in shape goes through prevention and research, and for that, we need your support and generosity.