Redefining cardiovascular care for women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death for women across the globe, yet significant progress has been made in prevention, diagnosis and management thanks to more sex-specific research, as noted in a special Go Red for Women issue of Circulation, the American Heart Association's flagship, peer-reviewed scientific journal, published today.

The 2026 Go Red for Women issue confirms Circulation's dedication to advancing women's cardiovascular health by showcasing new research about CVD in women. "Cardiovascular care for women is being redefined from early life through older age. This year's issue exemplifies this commitment, featuring an impressive collection of research articles and perspectives from around the world that illuminate the current state of CVD in women and inform future directions," wrote Mercedes Carnethon, Ph.D., FAHA, Circulation associate editor and special editor for the GRFW issue, chair of the department of preventive medicine and the Mary Harris Thompson Professor of Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology) and Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

The American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics notes that nearly 45% of women older than the age of 20 are living with some form of cardiovascular disease. Women are also likely to face delays in care when dealing with cardiac events, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement focused on acute coronary syndromes in premenopausal women, also published in this special issue of Circulation. The statement details the challenges of diagnosis and treatment for women because women often misattribute cardiac symptoms to less serious causes. Women are also less likely, compared to men, to be immediately triaged in the emergency department when presenting with cardiac symptoms, making them particularly vulnerable to a missed heart attack.

To better understand women's cardiovascular health and address gaps in care, the Association launched Go Red for Women (GRFW) in 2004. Funds raised by GRFW are dedicated to research, awareness and education about women's heart health and have supported more than 200,000 health care professionals with educational tools to improve women's health and care.

Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women's Health and senior vice president of women's health at Northwell Health in New York City, has long been an advocate for overcoming the gender discrepancy in cardiology. In an article featured in the special GRFW issue, she detailed, "It was this profound disparity that served as a critical wake-up call in cardiovascular medicine. As the data began to reveal a widening mortality gap for women, the question evolved from 'Does sex matter?' to a resounding 'How does sex matter?'"

Dr. Rosen's article, "Redefining Cardiovascular Medicine: The Journey from 'Does Sex Matter?' to 'How Does Sex Matter?'," urges clinicians, health care professionals and researchers to understand the role that sex plays in cardiovascular health and disease. "Improving the cardiovascular health of women is a call to action for every clinician, researcher and educator to go beyond being an ally; to become an advocate or even an accomplice in integrating 'sex as a biological variable' as a foundational pillar in the effort to improve health outcomes for all," she wrote.

Other articles in the special GRFW issue highlight key issues to address in order to improve the current knowledge about women's cardiovascular health. Several studies examined specific conditions during pregnancy that impact mothers and their babies, including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, discontinuing the use of statins before pregnancy, the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy and the potential risk factors that can affect blood pressure in their children. In addition, researchers examined how preexisting conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome are associated with various cardiovascular conditions.

As well as understanding cardiovascular disease, several researchers examined opportunities to increase women's design of and leadership in clinical trials by advocating for initiatives that advance participation of women investigators in clinical research. Similarly, researchers presented ways to leverage artificial intelligence to improve understanding of CVD risk in women and to enhance abilities to recruit women to participate in trials; less than 40% of all research trial participants are women.