New report highlights urgent need for gender-specific cardiovascular research and care

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death among women, yet disparities in care and access between men and women persist. According to a new report released today by the American Heart Association and the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI), closing these disparities could improve quality of life by at least 1.6 million years and boost the U.S. economy by $28 billion annually by 2040. The Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving work as the world's leading nonprofit focused on heart and brain health for all, also announced the launch of a new venture fund to close these disparities and translate gender-specific cardiovascular disease science into practice.

“Women's Heart Health in the United States: Pathways to Improving Their Health and Economic Status” explores why cardiovascular disease disproportionately impacts women in the United States and presents opportunities to eliminate heart health disparities.

According to the paper, one of the main reasons for this gap is our limited understanding of biological differences between women and men, particularly how CVD manifests during adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause. Similarly, women are often underrepresented in cardiovascular and clinical studies and suffer subpar treatment outcomes. A lack of scientific knowledge, a paucity of gender-specific medical training, and low investment in specific research and venture funding further exacerbate this disparity. In fact, the most recent data available shows that only 1% of medical research and innovation was invested in female-specific conditions other than cancer.

Closing this gap could improve quality of life for at least 1.6 million years and boost the U.S. economy by $28 billion per year by 2040. The report lists several ways to narrow the gap.

• It will expand women-focused research, accelerate the application of research findings, and promote commercialization of products and technologies to improve women's health.
• We address women's health needs and leverage financial capital to invest in novel approaches that target and accelerate cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological solutions across women's lifespan.
• Routine health data collection, diagnostics, and improving treatment algorithms.
• Train health care providers on how to identify and mitigate implicit bias in health care settings to improve continuity of care.
• Increase public awareness and tailor prevention strategies regarding women's lifelong heart health.

The report is based on a joint study by the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute published earlier this year.

“Having these conversations early is important because cardiovascular disease affects women of all ages and stages of life. Take pregnancy, for example: CVD is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States. Closing gaps in care delivery, evolving medical school education, and early childhood education that reflects the biological differences between men and women are just a few actions that can help close the gap in women's heart health.”

Megan Greenfield, report co-author, partner at McKinsey & Company and partnering leader for the McKinsey Health Institute

“We know that women's health goes beyond reproductive and maternal health,” said report co-author Lucy Perez, senior partner at McKinsey & Co. and co-leader of the McKinsey Health Institute. “Given the disproportionate impacts of cardiovascular health on women in ways that differ from men and the significant health and economic opportunities that exist to address them, expanding research and investment in women's heart health will help reduce the negative impacts of cardiovascular disease we see in the U.S..”

American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Venture Fund

Though women make up more than half of the U.S. population, women's health has long been viewed by investors as a niche market, accounting for just 2% of the more than $41.2 billion in healthcare venture funding in 2023. To fill the gaps outlined in the report, the American Heart Association has announced plans to launch a $75 million Women's Health Venture Fund to address the historic and widespread underinvestment in women's health. The Go Red for Women Venture Fund was launched with $40 million in direct funding from the association and is supported by a $15 million cornerstone donation from Palm Beach, Florida philanthropist Sarah Ross Soter. The new fund will help fill a huge capital gap for women's health companies that translate science into real-world clinical action and implementation, directly benefiting patients and the health care system. The fund will invest in companies that serve women's health needs in areas aligned with the American Heart Association's mission, bringing capital to companies targeting cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological solutions across the women's lifespan. The new fund is expected to begin allocating capital in the second half of 2024.

Earlier this month, the association published a warning prediction about cardiovascular health in its flagship peer-reviewed scientific journal as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations. CirculationAt least six in ten (61%) U.S. adults, or more than 184 million people, are expected to suffer from some form of CVD within the next 30 years, implying a disease epidemic costing $1.8 trillion — three times the current direct and indirect costs. Although health care costs for women are projected to be lower than for men through 2050, women will experience larger cost increases than men over this period. These projected trends are driven by an aging and more diverse population and a projected significant increase in chronic health risk factors such as hypertension and obesity.

“In 1924, the doctors who founded the American Heart Association believed that a better understanding of heart disease would lead to better outcomes. Today we know that understanding the disease is not enough — we also need to understand the patient,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “A woman's risk for heart disease and stroke changes throughout her life. As we mark our 100th anniversary, we call on individuals and industry leaders to work together to support innovative strategies that can help women live longer, healthier lives free of heart disease and stroke.”

The new Go Red for Women venture fund is the second in a series of bold announcements the Society is making in its 100th anniversary. The first is the establishment of a new longitudinal direct-to-patient registry of people living with overweight or obesity and those prescribed weight management treatments. The registry aims to inform vital research that will improve understanding of the causes and treatments of obesity, and how health professionals can manage it.

“As the Society enters its second century of life-saving work, we are ready to tackle new challenges head-on. We are working in new and exciting ways to close gaps in scientific research and improve the way research findings rapidly impact real-world healthcare,” Brown said.