There is a widespread misconception that heart disease is mostly a male disease. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main cause of death in both men and women in Europe, causing more deaths than all cancers combined. CVD accounts for 46% of all deaths in women, as compared to 39% of all deaths in men in the EU.
To explore the breadth of issues facing the newly enlarged Europe in the promotion and management of cardiovascular health for Europe’s 228 million women, a workshop was held on the topic €˜Challenges for a healthy heart for European women€™ at the 7th European Health Policy Forum in Gastein, Austria.