The American Heart Association's special Go Red for Women issue of Circulation, published for American Heart Month 2026, highlights significant advancements and ongoing challenges in women's cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for women globally, yet research reveals persistent gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and research participation that continue to affect outcomes.
According to the Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, nearly 45% of women older than 20 are living with some form of cardiovascular disease. A new scientific statement focused on acute coronary syndromes in premenopausal women, published in this special issue, details how women often face delayed diagnosis and worse outcomes compared to men. Women frequently misattribute cardiac symptoms to less serious causes and are less likely to be immediately triaged in emergency departments when presenting with cardiac symptoms, making them particularly vulnerable to missed heart attacks.
Dr. Stacey Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, addresses the longstanding gap in women's cardiovascular care that has led to missed insights into how heart disease affects women. In her article "Redefining Cardiovascular Medicine: The Journey from 'Does Sex Matter?' to 'How Does Sex Matter?'," she urges clinicians, health care professionals and researchers to understand the role that sex plays in cardiovascular health and disease. "Improving the cardiovascular health of women is a call to action for every clinician, researcher and educator to go beyond being an ally; to become an advocate or even an accomplice in integrating 'sex as a biological variable' as a foundational pillar in the effort to improve health outcomes for all," she wrote.
The special issue features research on pregnancy-related cardiovascular health, including how hypertensive disorders of pregnancy contribute to premature cardiovascular disease, how stopping statins prior to pregnancy affects maternal and infant outcomes, and the impact of smoking during pregnancy on blood pressure in children. Additional studies examine how preexisting conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome are associated with various cardiovascular conditions.
Researchers also examined opportunities to increase women's design of and leadership in clinical trials by advocating for initiatives that advance participation of women investigators in clinical research. Less than 40% of all research trial participants are women, according to data available at https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/02/01/women-remain-underrepresented-in-clinical-trials. Several researchers presented ways to leverage artificial intelligence to improve understanding of CVD risk in women and to enhance abilities to recruit women to participate in trials.
The American Heart Association launched Go Red for Women in 2004 to better understand women's cardiovascular health and address gaps in care. Funds raised by GRFW are dedicated to research, awareness and education about women's heart health and have supported more than 200,000 health care professionals with educational tools to improve women's health and care. The manuscripts featured in the special issue can be viewed in full at https://www.ahajournals.org/toc/circ/0/0.
Mercedes Carnethon, Ph.D., FAHA, Circulation associate editor and special editor for the GRFW issue, noted that "cardiovascular care for women is being redefined from early life through older age. This year's issue exemplifies this commitment, featuring an impressive collection of research articles and perspectives from around the world that illuminate the current state of CVD in women and inform future directions." The special issue editors will discuss findings from several manuscripts and talk with colleagues about the unique challenges for women cardiologists on the Circulation on the Run podcast available on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
