Epidemiology and Prevalence

Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States and most other developed countries. In 2016, CVD claimed the lives of 412,244 women in the United States. Growing knowledge of sex differences in symptoms/clinical presentation, pathophysiology of CVD, reliability of diagnostic tests, and responses to treatments, as well as an improved recognition of nontraditional risk factors specific to women, have resulted in improved clinical outcomes in women. However, despite these advances, CVD continues to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both women and men in the United States. Women face disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and research related to heart disease. Persistent differences in risk factor prevalence, healthcare access, low levels of awareness by both the public and medical communities leading to underdiagnosis, delayed adoption of evidence-based guidelines in women, and major knowledge gaps are some of the factors contributing to CVD disparities. The objective of this chapter is to address the known sex differences in CVD based on epidemiologic and clinical data, characterize current sex-specific health disparities, discuss challenges, and identify strategic pathways to improve the cardiovascular health of women.