Women’s college basketball coaches unite to improve cardiovascular health

Nineteen NCAA women’s basketball coaches have joined forces to raise awareness about heart disease, which kills more than 440,000 US women each year.

The Hearts on the Court Collective, led by Louisiana State University women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey, will launch social media campaigns throughout the season to promote heart-healthy habits.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the US, taking more lives than all cancers combined.

The American Heart Association says nearly 45 per cent of women over 20 live with some form of the disease, yet only about half are aware it is their greatest health threat.

Nancy Brown is chief executive officer of the American Heart Association.

Brown said: “Women are often misdiagnosed and undertreated when it comes to cardiovascular disease and there are many reasons why that is so important to recognise.

“From low representation of women in clinical research to women being less likely to receive lifesaving bystander CPR, major gaps exist.

“For more than 20 years, the American Heart Association and its Go Red for Women movement have empowered women to listen to their bodies, seek care when something feels wrong and advocate for the care they deserve.”

The campaign will promote Life’s Essential 8 for Women – key actions including knowing blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose numbers, eating healthily, being active, avoiding tobacco and getting quality sleep.

It will also highlight how pregnancy and menopause can influence heart disease risk.

Kim Mulkey is women’s basketball head coach at Louisiana State University and chair of the Hearts on the Court Collective.

She said: “We all have women in our lives we can’t bear to live without – our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our friends.

“Women need allies in the fight against a disease that takes so much from them

“I know firsthand how important heart health is.

“By coming together to highlight the ways that heart disease can be prevented, we are working to champion women’s health and empower the next generation of female athletes and those they love to take charge of their well-being.”

The inaugural members include head coaches from NCAA women’s basketball programmes at Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, UCLA, Baylor, Alabama, Florida, USC, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Iowa, Ohio State, Arizona State, Indiana and California, Berkeley.

According to the American Heart Association, about 80 per cent of heart attacks and strokes are preventable through lifestyle changes and education.

The Go Red for Women movement, now in its third decade, continues to close awareness and clinical care gaps for women at every stage of life.