Overview

The Women’s Heart & Vascular Symposium is pleased to promote women’s heart health across the lifespan with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). While public health initiatives have increased awareness that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women in the United States, disparities in diagnosis and treatment exist most notably in vulnerable populations. These populations include Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning), intersex, and asexual (or allies) [LGBTQIA+] communities; rural communities and women in the active military or veterans. Although significant progress has been made in narrowing the gap in health outcomes, disparities persist with the racial and social injustice of systemic racism and misogyny at the core. This is best highlighted in that the United States is the only industrialized country in the world with the greatest rates of mortality occurring during pregnancy and the postpartum period. These poor outcomes are predominately seen in Black women who are 3-4 times more likely to die, with heart disease the leading cause and something preventable nearly 60% of the time. Despite this understanding, there is still confusion among health care clinicians about culturally-sensitive risk assessment and best practice with regards to management of women and vulnerable patient populations with heart disease. While no single individual can solve the deeply rooted inequities, as the largest non-for-profit health system in the United States, it is our goal to ignite, empower, educate and amplify solutions.