2025-05-27
Cardiovascular diseases: the leading cause of death among women in France
Cardiology and Vascular Medicine
Every day, around 200 women in France die from a cardiovascular disease (CVD)—that's one every 7 minutes. Contrary to popular belief, these conditions do not affect only men. They are the leading cause of death among women, surpassing all types of cancer, including breast cancer. Yet 8 out of 10 deaths could be prevented through better prevention, appropriate screening, and more responsive medical care.
Often atypical and overlooked symptoms
Warning signs of a heart attack in women frequently differ from those seen in men. Classic chest pain is sometimes absent. Instead, women may experience intense fatigue, diffuse chest discomfort, unusual shortness of breath, digestive disturbances, or burning sensations behind the sternum. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often dismissed or attributed to stress or tiredness.
Additionally, gender biases persist in medicine. A woman reporting fatigue or malaise may have her symptoms interpreted as psychological, delaying referral to a cardiologist or an ECG. This diagnostic inequality has serious consequences for survival rates and quality of life.
Specific risk factors
Certain stages in a woman’s life increase cardiovascular risk: hormonal contraception, pregnancy, postpartum, and especially menopause, which marks a drop in protective estrogen levels. Smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol further exacerbate this risk.
Mental load, related to juggling family, work, and household responsibilities, also contributes to chronic stress, a known risk factor in the development of heart disease among women.
Better prevention through better information
Prevention starts with education and awareness. Women should be encouraged to learn about their family medical history, undergo regular health check-ups, and adopt healthy lifestyle habits. The "Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes" Foundation offers practical tools: checklists to prepare for consultations, guides to interpret test results, and educational materials on warning signs.
Among the impactful initiatives is the Women’s Heart Bus, which travels across the country to provide free screening, advice, and medical guidance to women in precarious situations or without regular healthcare. This innovative mobile clinic can serve up to 300 women in three days and helps detect numerous silent conditions.
Given the scale of this public health emergency, it's vital to break gender stereotypes, train healthcare professionals to recognize sex-specific symptoms, and promote targeted prevention efforts. Women's cardiovascular health must no longer be a blind spot in medicine—it is a critical issue affecting millions of French women at every stage of life.
Read next: Gluten-free diet, a solution to improve heart health?
Source(s) :
Ministère de la Santé : 200 femmes décèdent chaque jour en France d'une maladie cardiovasculaire ;
Les maladies cardiovasculaires en France : un impact majeur et des inégalités persistantes ;
Agir pour le cœur des femmes – Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation
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