Cardiovascular Disease – Number One Danger to Women
May 12th, 2026 by Annabelle Sali
Cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease, is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, with one person dying every 34 seconds (Heart Disease). Cardiovascular disease is an overarching umbrella term that expresses a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels, and can be divided into subtypes. This includes an array of conditions like coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral artery disease.
In the United States alone, over 60 million women (44%) live with a form of cardiovascular disease (About Women and Heart Disease | Heart Disease | CDC). In 2023, a study showed that 1 in every 5 female deaths is due to heart disease, and only about 56% of women recognize the illness as their number one killer (About Women and Heart Disease | Heart Disease | CDC). Therefore, it’s essential for women to understand and be knowledgeable about their bodies, the potential risk factors, and their health.
Several other general risk factors also contribute to cardiovascular disease, becoming the number one killer of women. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking/substance abuse, and chronic, existing, medical conditions are just some key risk factors (Heart Disease). For women, coronary heart disease, where plaque is in the walls of the arteries, affecting blood flow to the heart, is the most common experienced subtype (About Women and Heart Disease | Heart Disease | CDC). For instance, two out of three women have one or more risk factors, growing with age (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). Symptoms do differ between males and females. For example, many women typically experience more chest pain due to mental stress, or while doing routine daily activities rather than during exercise like men (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).
Women experience higher fluctuating hormones, which play a significant role in heart disease. Hormonal fluctuations range from person to person in daily life due to age, stress, and lifestyle. However, women also experience a change in hormones during pregnancy, menstruation, puberty, menopause, and perimenopause. For example, estrogen is a sex hormone created in both female and male bodies; however, mainly associated with women, and is known for regulating sexual and reproductive health in women's health (Cleveland Clinic). When these estrogen levels drop in menopausal women, there is an increased risk for cardiovascular incidents (National Library of Medicine).
Additionally, women, structurally, are more prone to developing plaques since they have smaller heart sizes and blood vessels (National Library of Medicine). Therefore, increasing women’s chances of obtaining the most common heart disease, Coronary artery disease. This can then result in other health incidents like heart attacks, heart failure, and chest pain.
Considering the severity and thousands of risk factors – genetic or not – connected with cardiovascular disease, women, men, and children need to be aware of their bodies. Therefore, when educated empowers individuals to prevent early causes and maintain safety.
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