Preventing cardiovascular disease in women: how can we do better?

This review highlights advances in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women in the preceding 12 months.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has recently published guidelines on the prevention of CVD in women, which brought new attention to this important topic. Limited progress has been made regarding an awareness of CVD among women, and modest progress has been made on the creation of health behavior change programs that effectively reduce smoking, increase physical activity and improve nutrition. Preventive therapies have been demonstrated to improve outcomes in women with diagnosed disease, but more research that includes women is required to further assess the benefits of primary preventive strategies and therapies.

A review of the literature from the past year confirms the recommendations and direction set in the AHA's updated prevention guidelines. This review illuminates promising new directions for practice and the need for future research focused on strategies to advance early and lasting lifestyle changes to promote cardiovascular health and the prevention of CVD. Adoption of and adherence to the guidelines, continued evaluation and publication of effective practice strategies, and ongoing research are critical to improve efforts to prevent CVD in women.