The death of a local woman in my town–who was relatively young at 53 years old–prompted me to revisit the topic of women’s heart health. This woman’s death (apparently of a heart attack) begs me to remind you that heart disease is not something that strikes older Caucasian men. We all should take this matter seriously.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, yet African-American women are disproportionately affected, leading the death rate regardless of age.  Importantly, African American women are less likely than Caucasian women to be aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death.

The staggering statistics for African American women and heart disease:

• Cardiovascular disease kills nearly 500,000 African-American women annually.
• Of African-American women ages 20 and older, 49 per cent have heart disease
• Only 1 in 5 African-American women believes she is personally at risk
• Only 52 per cent of African-American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
• Only 36 percent of African-American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.
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