Women live seven years longer than men on average, and many illnesses that affect women occur later in life. Heart disease is the chief cause of death among American women of all ages. While it can strike at any age, the heart disease rate rises significantly after menopause. Hypertension, a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease, is two to three times more common in women than men and highest among black women. Heart disease in women often goes undetected and untreated until the disease has become severe.
Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of American women.
While only five percent of all women worldwide live in the United States, half of all women worldwide who die from smoking-related diseases live in this country. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women between 35 and 54 years old, numbering 44,000 deaths annually. One in eight American women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. More than 20 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, a debilitating disease characterized by the loss of bone mass. The number of American women entering the age groups where osteoporosis occurs, following menopause, is rising twice as fast as the population in general.