World Heart Federation saddened by the death of Dr. Bernadine Healy, cardiologist and pioneer in women's health.
World Heart Federation saddened by the death of Dr. Bernadine Healy, cardiologist and pioneer in women's health.
"Dr. Healy was a champion for women's health", says World Heart Federation President Dr. Sidney C Smith, Jr
Dr. Healy was the first female director of the National Institutes of Health in the US, the first physician to lead the American Red Cross and served as President of the American Heart Association.
During her time as President of the American Heart Association, Dr. Healy focused on making the medical and public communities aware that cardiovascular disease not only afflicts men, but is a woman's disease as well.
As the first female to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), she launched the Women's Health Initiative which continues to produce important research such as the discovery in 2002 that hormone replacement therapy in women increases the risk of breast cancer, stroke and heart attacks.
Also during her time as director of the NIH, Dr. Healy pushed for the equal representation of women in clinical trials, something we continue to strive for today.
"Dr. Healy was a champion for women's health and an advocate for broader research and programs to advance awareness and improve treatment strategies for heart disease among women," explains World Heart Federation President Dr. Sidney C Smith, Jr, "we will forever be grateful to her efforts to promote improved heart health for all."