Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be one of the greatest global health threats facing women. In Canada, CVD in women is under-diagnosed, under-treated, under-supported, and under-researched, and people are under-aware.
The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance, powered by the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, in collaboration with Heart & Stroke, have published a comprehensive review of the current evidence regarding sex- and gender-specific differences in comorbidity, risk factors, disease awareness, presentation, diagnosis and treatment across the entire spectrum of CVD.
The co-authored paper, ‘State of the Science in Women’s Cardiovascular Disease: A Canadian Perspective on the Influence of Sex and Gender,’ is published in the February 17 edition of the Journal of American Heart Association Go Red issue dedicated to women’s health.
The scientific paper highlights the scarcity of data on CVD in women and identifies an urgent need for more research to support the development of sex- and gender-specific guidelines and recommendations to transform clinical practice. It is a call to action to drive more research to resolve persistent knowledge gaps related to caring for women who are at risk of or suffering from CVD and provides a foundation from which approaches to improve CVD awareness, diagnosis, treatment, support, and outcomes for women in Canada can be further developed.
For more information, or to coordinate an interview with the authors, please contact the media liaison below.
Media Contact:
Leigh B. Morris
Communications Officer
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
613-696-7000 ext. 19051 (office)
613-316-6409 (cell)
@email