Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the United States, yet it continues to be under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and under-treated—particularly among women who face economic, geographic, and systemic barriers to care. Despite decades of progress in cardiovascular medicine, far too many women still lack access to early screening, preventive services, and evidence-based education that could dramatically reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular events.
This gap in care is not due to a lack of science. We know that early identification of risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia—combined with counseling, follow-up, and community support—can save lives. The challenge has been ensuring that these proven strategies reach the women who need them most.
Why Prevention Must Be the Priority
For many women, particularly those who are uninsured or underinsured, the first sign of heart disease is often a catastrophic event. Prevention programs that identify risk earlier and intervene sooner are among the most effective tools we have to change this trajectory.
The CDC’s WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation) program has long demonstrated the value of this approach. By providing cardiovascular screening and lifestyle interventions to low-income and uninsured women, WISEWOMAN has helped reduce risk factors and improve long-term outcomes. However, the reach of the program remains limited relative to the size of the population at risk.
The Women’s Heart Health Expansion Act
The Women’s Heart Health Expansion Act, introduced on a bipartisan basis by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, represents a meaningful opportunity to build on what works. The legislation would strengthen and expand WISEWOMAN by:
- Increasing access to life-saving heart health screenings for women at highest risk
- Modernizing and expanding program delivery to reach more communities
- Improving coordination with community-based providers and public health partners
- Strengthening prevention efforts before cardiovascular disease becomes life-threatening
This is a pragmatic, evidence-based approach that focuses on upstream prevention, rather than downstream crisis care.
The Role of Coalition Leadership
Meaningful progress in women’s heart health does not happen in isolation. It requires cross-sector collaboration among clinicians, patient advocates, public health organizations, and policymakers. That is why the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health (PACH) has been instrumental in bringing together a diverse coalition to support this legislation.
The Women’s Heart Health Expansion Act is already endorsed by leading organizations including the American Heart Association, WomenHeart, the Association of Black Cardiologists, the Adult Congenital Heart Association, and Heart Valve Voice U.S. This broad support reflects a shared understanding: improving women’s cardiovascular outcomes requires coordinated action and sustained commitment.
Why PPAHS Supports This Effort
At the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, our mission is to advance patient safety and improve outcomes through education, evidence, and collaboration. Cardiovascular disease prevention—especially for women who face systemic barriers to care—is fundamentally a patient safety issue.
Supporting the Women’s Heart Health Expansion Act aligns directly with our commitment to:
- Equitable access to preventive care
- Evidence-based health policy
- Reducing preventable morbidity and mortality
- Amplifying patient and clinician voices in healthcare decision-making
Expanding access to screening and education is not only cost-effective—it is lifesaving.
A Call to Action
Broad coalition support is essential to demonstrate the urgency and impact of this legislation to policymakers. We encourage organizations, clinicians, advocates, and stakeholders committed to improving women’s health to join PACH in supporting the Women’s Heart Health Expansion Act.
By standing together, we can help ensure that more women receive the preventive cardiovascular care they need—before a heart attack or stroke changes their lives forever.
Prevention works. Collaboration matters. And women’s heart health cannot wait.