As we celebrate women’s strength, resilience, and achievements each year, we must also take a moment to face an uncomfortable truth—women still carry a disproportionate burden of undiagnosed and untreated cardiovascular disease. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death among women worldwide—yet awareness, screening, and clinical responses are far from adequate.
Research shows that Indian women face a 25% higher risk of developing heart disease compared to men, yet their symptoms are more likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed because they often present atypically.
In India, cultural norms, caregiving responsibilities, low health-seeking behavior, and limited access to preventive care often cause women to prioritize the well-being of everyone else before their own.
The well-being of women has a ripple effect spanning families and communities. This is why investing in women’s heart health is not just a medical necessity — it’s an intergenerational imperative.
Maternal health conditions affect the child’s long-term health
It is important to recognize that a woman’s heart health strongly impacts maternal and child outcomes. Conditions such as hypertension, obesity, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia can significantly elevate a woman’s long-term cardiovascular risk. These conditions also increase the child’s risk of developing chronic diseases later in life.
Establishing simple, structured follow-up pathways—such as annual blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol checks—can ensure early detection and long-term protection.
The cost of delayed diagnosis
Women often experience cardiac symptoms that are different — fatigue, breathlessness, nausea, or back pain instead of the classic chest pain. When left unattended, it leads to delayed diagnosis and poorer prognosis.
To address this, we need systemic responses that include:
- Gender-aware clinical protocols that train healthcare providers to recognize atypical symptoms in women
- Integrated screening for diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, and cardiovascular risk
- Strengthening awareness at the community level, enabling women to understand risk factors and seek timely intervention
- Strengthening prevention, treatment, and care through inclusive data that represents women across ages, backgrounds, and health needs
According to the World Economic Forum, timely interventions could help 3.9 billion women live healthier lives and boost the global economy by $1 trillion every year by 2040—making it one of the most high-impact public health investments of our time.
Empowering women empowers communities
With cardiovascular diseases posing a growing threat to productivity and well-being, workplaces play a pivotal role in advancing women’s heart health by offering gender-sensitive wellness programs, stress-management support, and accessible screening.
At the community level, equipping frontline health workers, such as ASHAs, with tools and training to communicate heart health risks can accelerate early identification, especially in rural India.
The role of industry in building a heart-healthy future for women
As an industry, we must continue collaborating with policymakers, medical associations, and civil-society partners to ensure that women’s heart health becomes a public-health priority. The goal must be to shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention—making screening easy, education widespread, and care equitable.
Our work in cardiovascular therapies, patient-centric programs, and community-level initiatives is grounded in the understanding that when we invest in women’s health, we invest in the health of families and the future of our nation.
A healthier tomorrow begins with healthier women
The intergenerational impact of women’s heart health is clear: when women thrive, families flourish.
The path to a healthier nation begins with recognising women’s heart health as a shared responsibility. When we come together—healthcare providers, families, workplaces, and communities—we give every woman the chance to lead a longer, healthier, and more empowered life, laying a strong foundation for generations to come.
This authored article was first published in the Express Healthcare (print) May 2026 edition, page no. 26.
