Although men have the highest prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease, women suffer from worse health outcomes and higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease compared to men.
Women are also underdiagnosed and undertreated for cardiovascular disease compared to men. A review of the literature revealed three main factors contributing to this gender disparity: gender roles, psychosocial factors, and medical bias.
These factors are interconnected and influence one another. Since the factors that contribute to the disparity are multifaceted, ways to narrow the gender disparity include a combination of individual, institutional, and societal level interventions.
