For many years, it was thought that there were no significant differences in the heart health of women and men. However, research has revealed that the symptoms, risk factors, and quality and quantity of care for cardiovascular disease differ significantly between women and men.¹ These disparities, combined with a widespread lack of education and gender bias among clinicians, make cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cholesterol management an urgent concern for women.

Earlier this month, Amgen sponsored the following events: washington post To address important issues related to women’s heart health, including treatment disparities, gender bias, and policy implications. The event was held in Washington, DC, and brought together policy makers, public health leaders, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals.

There are four key takeaways from the DC event:

1. Medical self-advocacy is extremely important, especially for women.

   One panel, “Addressing Gender Inequality in Cholesterol Care,” featured Selina Gore, CEO of Women’s Heart, and Latrice, an advocate and paid spokesperson for Amgen who lives with CVD. – Dr. Baxter discussed the urgent need for healthcare professionals and women to prioritize LDL. The importance of cholesterol testing and management, and speaking up and advocating to improve women’s heart health.

   Baxter spoke about her path to her diagnosis, which included open heart surgery, her experiences living with CVD, and the harrowing journey it took to lower her LDL cholesterol. After building her care team, making lifestyle changes and finding the right combination of medications, Baxter now describes herself as “thriving.” “My hope is that women understand that they can change their doctor,” Baxter said. She says, “You don’t have to be stuck with someone who doesn’t take you seriously.”

   Gore also named Baxter a Women’s Heart Champion, recognizing her bold voice in the CVD conversation and her work highlighting the need for greater heart disease advocacy. did. “This experience will allow me to help others through their heart disease experience because I went through something similar myself,” Baxter said.

2. A strong voice creates impactful discourse.

Additional panelists included Janet S. Wright, M.D., FACC of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jennifer L. Ellis, M.D., of the Association of Black Cardiologists, and Martha Gulati, M.D., of the Smit Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical, among others. Lack of education about heart disease risk factors and symptoms of cardiac events in women. “Women are more likely to describe symptoms other than chest pain,” Dr. Wright said, referring to the differences in cardiac symptoms reported by men and women. ”[Women] feel short of breath or [that] It’s hard to breathe. Many people feel nauseous and sometimes feel radiating pain… [women] Rather than experiencing things that men don’t experience, are we just becoming more in tune with our bodies and more able to explain what we’re experiencing? ”

Dr. Ellis went on to point out a common misconception that heart disease is greater in white men, when in fact women are at higher risk for heart disease, and the risk is even greater for women of color.^{2, 3} “When I talk to you, [underrepresented] Dr. Ellis says, “I want everyone in the group to have a mantra of, ‘Maybe that’s my heart?’ When you say, ‘Maybe that’s my heart?’ What’s your heart?’ Then you can find out what your cholesterol is, what your blood pressure is, what your family history is. [risk assessment questions] That’s the absolute minimum. ”

3. Gender bias is a serious problem for women’s heart health, but solutions are on the horizon.

Direct attendees of the event also had the opportunity to break into small groups for more in-depth discussions. 1 breakout session, How gender bias affects women’s heart health management, moderated by Bethany Kalic, Asset Lead Medical Director at Amgen. Ms. Karic’s session focused on familial and professional connections to the disease, the lack of understanding of cardiovascular disease and its symptoms in women, and solutions that can help improve cardiovascular care for women. I guessed it. The group also explores how telling patient stories increases public and health care provider awareness about the disease, and how organizations like Women’s Heart engage legislators and people advocating for change in various communities. We also discussed how this can be linked and the critical importance of strengthening CVD screening tools. “If we know better, we can do better,” Kalich said.

Other breakout sessions focused on how women access and prioritize cardiac health care, as women, especially new mothers with heart disease, are at higher risk for long-term adverse cardiovascular events.^Four Another session discussed how policy can help ensure more personalized CVD care for women and families. These conversations fostered discussion and provided attendees with potential solutions to move the needle in the heart health field.

4. Amgen is working to shift the paradigm for women’s heart health.

   opportunities like washington post Women’s heart health events are of great importance in improving cardiovascular disease trends. These events provide an opportunity for stakeholders across the healthcare industry to come together to advance solutions to strengthen cardiovascular disease care for women and highlight the urgent need to prioritize LDL cholesterol testing and management. produce.

For more information and resources about CVD and high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, check out WhatIsMyLDL.com.

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