8th Annual Women's Cardiovascular Health Symposium 2015

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality for women in the United States, claiming about 500,000 women’s lives each year. Almost half of US women fail to recognize CVD as their major health problem and thus miss the opportunity to partner with health care providers early to identify and manage risk factors over their lifespan. Trends toward elevated body mass index, hypertension prevalence and CHD death rates among younger US women ages 35-54 appear to be increasing. Moreover many tests that are adequate for determining CVD risk in men are not adequate for determining this risk in women. An important step in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality for women is early detection of disease and management of risk factors using the most effective tests for women.

It is critical for health care providers such as cardiologists, family practitioners, internists and obstetricians/gynecologists to identify andm appropriately educate their female patients who are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the rapid changes and advances in scientific discovery make the practice of evidence-based medicine challenging for all practitioners.