Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among women worldwide, yet research has historically focused on male patients, leading to significant gaps in understanding and treatment. This June, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a major initiative to address this disparity, pledging $500 million over the next decade to fund women-centric cardiovascular research.
The program, named HER-Heart, will prioritize studies on how heart disease manifests differently in women, including under-researched areas like microvascular dysfunction, which affects small arteries and is often misdiagnosed. Women are more likely than men to experience “silent” heart attacks or atypical symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and jaw pain, leading to delayed treatment and worse outcomes.
Dr. Priya Nair, a cardiologist and advisor to the WHO, explained, “For too long, women’s heart health has been an afterthought in medical research. This initiative will ensure that sex-specific factors—such as hormonal changes, pregnancy-related conditions, and autoimmune diseases—are thoroughly investigated.”
The funding will also support the development of diagnostic tools tailored to women, as current tests like angiograms are less effective at detecting certain types of female-pattern heart disease. Additionally, the initiative includes a global awareness campaign to educate women and healthcare providers about gender-specific risk factors and symptoms.
Early reactions from the medical community have been overwhelmingly positive. “This is a long-overdue step toward equity in healthcare,” said Dr. Maria Lopez, a leading researcher in gender-specific medicine. “With this level of investment, we could see transformative changes in how we prevent, diagnose, and treat heart disease in women within the next decade.”
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