Inaugural Go Red for Women Issue

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death among women, a fact widely recognized for years. Yet, the significance of heart disease in women has been underappreciated, and women are significantly underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical research. Women and men share common features in the manifestations and pathophysiology of heart and vascular disease, and understanding of those pathophysiological mechanisms is incomplete. At the same time, significant differences exist that have largely been neglected by regulatory, industrial, funding, and research policies. In response to these unmet needs, the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women was launched in 2004 to develop a strategic and integrated approach to the care …