Of the women who died in 2008, one in four women dies from heart disease. It's the #1 killer of women, regardless of race or ethnicity. It also strikes at younger ages than most people think, and the risk rises in middle age.
Number of Deaths* - Heart Disease, 305,630
Number of Deaths* - Stroke, 80,620
Number of Deaths* - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 71,760
Number of Deaths* - Lung Cancer, 70,070
Number of Deaths* - Breast Cancer, 40,590
Number of Deaths* - Diabetes, 35,210
Numbers of deaths are based off the most recent data available and rounded to the nearest tenth.
*National Center for Health Statistics
Unpublished NHLBI tabulation of 2008 mortality data.
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