Statistics from the American Heart Association Statistics from the American Heart Association show just how important it is that women be informed of the consequences when it comes to heart disease and stroke. One in 2 women will die of heart disease or stroke. One in 27 women will die of breast cancer. In 1996, there were 505,930 women who died of cardiovascular disease. Forty-two percent of women compared to 24 percent of men will die within one year after a heart attack.
Postmenopausal women are more likely to suffer a heart attack than men.
More women than men die of stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death among American women, claiming twice as many lives as breast cancer. Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability with an estimated 31 percent of stroke survivors requiring substantial care and assistance. Cardiovascular disease is a term that includes a number of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels. Problems involving the heart and blood vessels occur when there is a blockage in the artery that supplies blood to the heart or brain.