Women and children
CVD can affect people of all ages and population groups, including women and children.
However, their risk can be controlled, treated or modified through everyday heart-healthy behaviours, such as eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise and avoiding tobacco use.
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This year, on the occasion of World Heart Day, the World Heart Federation together with its members is calling on individuals and parents to reduce their own and their family’s risk because healthy children lead to healthy adults and healthy adults lead to healthy families and communities.
View our infographic revealing the global CVD burden and highlighting actions that can be taken to protect the heart health of women and children>
In fact, heart disease is actually the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 female deaths: shockingly, that’s about one death per minute! It is vital that women learn the truth about their cardiovascular disease risk and take action to protect themselves and their family! Know your risk>
Children are vulnerable too: the risk for cardiovascular disease can begin before birth during foetal development, and increase further during childhood with exposure to unhealthy diets, lack of exercise and smoking.
Read our blog post linking breastfeeding, lifelong health and cardiovascular health >
View other programmes and activities related to women and children>
Children might suffer a double burden from heart disease and stroke. They may have to face the emotional consequences of seeing a loved one becoming ill, but they are also at risk of the physical consequences of heart disease and stroke.
Modern society can expose children to risk factors such as diets with too few calories, diets high in “bad” fats and sugar; activities such as computer games that discourage physical activity; and in some countries, tobacco advertising that encourages tobacco use or environments filled with secondhand tobacco smoke.
We have developed a leaflet specifically targeting children aged approximately 7–10 years old, to educate them about heart-healthy behaviour.
Find out about the children leaflet and meet Superheart >
Learn more about World Heart Federation activities related to children and youth >
