WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is featured in a new episode of "Beats of Change," a global documentary series launching September 25 on BBC.com. The episode addresses a critical gap in cardiovascular care: more than 60 million U.S. women live with heart disease, the leading cause of death for women, yet nearly half are unaware of their risk, and many face misdiagnosis due to gender disparities in care.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming nearly 20 million lives every year—yet most cases are preventable. The burden is especially heavy in lower-resource countries, where access to prevention and treatment remains limited. Across the globe, gaps in awareness, stigma, and misperceptions about CVD contribute to delayed diagnoses and poorer outcomes.
Within this global challenge lies a critical and often overlooked issue: women's heart health. In the United States alone, more than 60 million women are living with heart disease, the number one killer of women. Yet nearly half of women are unaware of their risk, and many experience misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis due to differences in symptoms and persistent gender disparities in care.
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is partnering with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions to spotlight these urgent issues in a new episode of The World Heart Federation's beats of change, a global film and multimedia series launching September 25 on BBC.com and the World Heart Federation's site.
The WomenHeart episode highlights the organization's peer-support network—the only national nonprofit model of its kind for women with heart disease—and underscores the importance of women's voices in transforming heart health. It also draws attention to a critical but underrecognized risk factor: high LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), which can silently damage arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Knowing and managing LDL levels is essential for prevention; yet, many remain unaware of their numbers or their associated risk.
"Heart disease is the world's biggest killer, and women's stories must be part of the solution," said Celina Gorre, WomenHeart's CEO. "Too often, women are misdiagnosed, dismissed, or treated too late. By sharing lived experiences and raising awareness about risks like high cholesterol, we can empower women globally to take charge of their heart health and change outcomes."
At the heart of the documentary is WomenHeart's Champions program, a network of more than 1,200 women trained in partnership with Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, to become peer supporters, educators, and advocates. These Champions lead support groups, host community events, speak at local and national events, and bring women's perspectives into national conversations on heart health—helping to close dangerous gaps in care.
WomenHeart's episode is supported by Amgen and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, highlighting their commitment to education and support for women at risk of and living with heart disease.
As part of a broader international series, Beats of Change features stories from across continents—innovators in Switzerland developing wearable devices to track blood pressure, medical teams in Saudi Arabia supporting young transplant patients, and WomenHeart in the U.S. leading the charge for women's heart health equity. Together, these stories highlight the urgent global effort to mitigate the impact of cardiovascular disease and prioritize heart health for all.
About WomenHeart
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the first and only national patient-centered organization solely devoted to advancing women's heart health through education, advocacy, and peer support. Founded in 1999 by three women who had survived heart attacks, WomenHeart empowers women with lived experience to support others, raises awareness of the risks, and fights for equity in care so that every woman has the knowledge, tools, and support to protect her heart.
Media Contact
Jodi Smith, WomenHeart, 1 202-464-8780, [email protected], womenheart.org
SOURCE WomenHeart
Share this article