"The good news that was announced shows that The Heart Truth awareness campaign is helping," said Mrs. Laura Bush. "When I first heard that heart disease is the number one killer of women, I was surprised. I joined The Heart Truth — and its national Red Dress project - to raise women's awareness and fight back against heart disease. By learning about heart disease, and taking action to reduce risk factors, women can save their own lives."

“We have much to celebrate with the release of this data. It is very good news indeed,” said Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., director of NHLBI. “To see such a significant reduction in deaths underscores that the efforts of many individuals and organizations to raise awareness, improve treatment and access, and inspire women to take action are truly saving lives.”

NHLBI experts analyzed preliminary data for 2004, the most recent year for which data are available. This analysis showed that the last few years in particular have seen a steady decline in the number of heart disease deaths in women — deaths have gone down in each of the five years from 2000 to 2004, a consecutive yearly decline which has not occurred before. Furthermore, in 2004, life expectancy at birth reached an all-time high for women: 80.4 years. “The steady decline in heart disease mortality has certainly contributed to this trend,” said Dr. Nabel.

Additionally, significant progress has been made in increasing awareness among women that heart disease is their leading killer — up from 34 percent in 2000 to 55 percent in 2005. “We are confident that recent advancements in the women and heart disease movement have helped to propel this change,” said Dr. Nabel. “More women are aware that heart disease is their leading killer, and research shows that this heightened awareness is leading them to take action to reduce their risk. They are more likely to step up their physical activity, eat healthier, and lose weight.”

Despite this progress, challenges remain. Heart disease continues to be the leading killer of women, yet many women still do not take heart disease seriously or personally, and millions have one or more of the risk factors which can dramatically increase their risk of developing the condition. “Our goal continues to be achieving even greater awareness and contributing to the trend of steady decline in deaths,” said Dr. Nabel.

The NHLBI, through The Heart Truth campaign, continued its awareness efforts by returning to New York Fashion Week for the fifth year with its signature platform — the Red Dress Collection Fashion Show. NHLBI’s introduction of The Heart Truth’s Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 sparked a national movement that has united partners to promote the common goal of a greater awareness of heart disease and better heart health for all women. The Red Dress is fast becoming one of the most recognizable health symbols in the United States.

In a 2007 survey commissioned by Johnson & Johnson on behalf of The Heart Truth, 57 percent of U.S. women recognized the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease, up from 39 percent awareness in 2006 and 25 percent in 2005.

The Heart Truth aims to spread the word that heart disease is largely preventable. In fact, just by leading a healthy lifestyle — such as following a heart healthy eating plan, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking — Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent.

Some risk factors, such as age (55 or older for women) and a family history of early heart disease, can’t be changed. Women can, however, control certain risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, being overweight or obese, and being physically inactive. Eighty percent of midlife women (ages 40 to 60) have one or more of these risk factors. Having even one risk factor doubles a woman’s chance of developing heart disease, and having three or more risk factors increases the risk tenfold.