Investing in women's heart health could save US $28B annually: 10 things to know

The U.S. economy could grow by $28 billion annually by 2040 if women's heart health was addressed equally to that of men. 

The McKinsey Health Institute and the American Heart Association studied the effect heart health inequities have on women's lives in a recently published report, "The State of U.S. Women’s Heart Health: A Path to Improved Health and Financial Outcomes."

Here are 10 things to know from the report:

1. Women in the U.S. could regain 1.6 million years of life lost because of poor health and early deaths if health inequities were addressed.
   
   
2. While men have a higher prevalence of diabetes than women, the presence of diabetes increases women's cardiovascular risk by three- to sevenfold compared to two- to threefold in men.
   
   
3. While men have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, women are more likely to die after having an acute cardiovascular event. A recent study found women are more likely to die from cardiac surgery complications as well.
   
   
4. Racial disparities exist among women across races and ethnicities. In the U.S., 59% of Black women over the age of 20 have cardiovascular disease, compared to 43% of Hispanic women, 43% of Asian American women and 42% of white women. Black women also have higher prevalence of morbidity from cardiovascular disease.
   
   
5. Life stages characterized by fluctuating estrogen levels, puberty, pregnancy and menopause place additional physiological stress on a woman's body and heart. When addressing women's heart health, these sex-related risk factors should be considered alongside behavioral, environmental and social risk factors.
   
   
6. Among 740 clinical trials for cardiovascular health between 2010 to 2017, women made up only 38% of study participants. Postmenopausal women had the lowest study participation rate, at 26%. Despite having a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, persons of African, Hispanic or Indigenous descent are also underrepresented in U.S. clinical trials.
   
   
7. Lack of representation in clinical trials leads to limited data on how treatments, and preventative measures affect the female body, contributing to misdiagnosis and inadequate cardiovascular care.
   
   
8. In a recent study, only 22% of primary care physicians and 42% of cardiologists said they felt extremely well prepared to assess cardiovascular risk in women.
   
   
9. Though half of U.S. medical school graduates are women, they represent 15% of adult cardiologists and 4% of interventional cardiologists.
   
   
10. The reports recommendations to close the cardiovascular care gap are:
    
    
    • Advance sex-specific research to prioritize sex-specific differences.
      
      
    • Improve guidelines and algorithms for routine health data collection, diagnostics and treatment.
      
      
    • Equip healthcare providers across the care continuum to view women's cardiovascular health as a shared responsibility to improve outcomes.
      
      
    • Raise public awareness of women's heart health and tailor prevention strategies for unique stages across a woman's lifespan.
      
      
    • Addressing racial and sex based biases and inequities by offering tailored healthcare delivery models that address specific communities.
      
      
    • Investing in businesses, initiatives and technologies that aim to improve women's cardiovascular health

Read the full report here.