NCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Launch Collective to Combat Leading Killer of Women
Nineteen NCAA women's basketball coaches have formed the Hearts on the Court Collective to address cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for American women, through awareness campaigns and education about prevention strategies.
Nineteen National Collegiate Athletic Association women's college basketball coaches have united to form the Hearts on the Court Collective, a new initiative focused on combating cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading killer of women in the United States. The collective, led by Louisiana State University hall of fame head coach Kim Mulkey, represents the first time such a large group of women's basketball coaches has mobilized around this critical health issue that claims more than 440,000 women's lives annually according to the American Heart Association.
The initiative comes at a crucial time, as cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one killer of all people in the U.S., including women, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined. According to the American Heart Association, approximately 80% of heart attacks and strokes are preventable, yet nearly 45% of women over age 20 are living with some form of the disease. Only around half of women are aware that this represents their greatest health threat.
Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized the urgency of addressing this health crisis. "Women are often misdiagnosed and undertreated when it comes to cardiovascular disease and there are many reasons why that is so important to recognize. From low representation of women in clinical research to women being less likely to receive lifesaving bystander CPR, major gaps exist," Brown stated. The Association's Go Red for Women movement has been working for more than 20 years to empower women to listen to their bodies and advocate for proper care.
Throughout the women's college basketball season, the collective will launch a series of public service announcements through social media highlighting ways women can prioritize heart health through Life's Essential 8™ for Women. These calls to action include knowing key health numbers such as blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels, embracing healthy eating, increasing physical activity, abstaining from tobacco use, and getting quality sleep. The initiative will also emphasize how unique life stages like pregnancy and menopause can affect cardiovascular disease risk.
Coach Kim Mulkey, who chairs the Hearts on the Court Collective, explained the personal motivation behind the coaches' involvement. "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," Mulkey said. "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 collective includes head coaches from prominent NCAA programs across the country, including Katie Abrahamson-Henderson from University of Georgia, Courtney Banghart from UNC, Jennie Baranczyk from University of Oklahoma, and several other leading coaches from major universities. The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement provides resources to support women's heart health at https://GoRedforWomen.org. The movement is committed to addressing awareness and clinical care gaps while meeting the needs of women in every age, stage and season of life as a trusted source for science-backed health solutions.