Cardiovascular disease and women’s health

Contemporary dietary recommendations were formulated to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by decreasing hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Presently, less than 20& of US women meet these recommendations. Because CVD is the leading cause of death in US women, there is a critical need to identify effective strategies to overcome obstacles they encounter in achieving healthy dietary practices. Understanding how to elicit long-term nutrition-related behavior changes in women could significantly affect the health of our nation by decreasing the risk of chronic diseases (including CVD) in women and in the many different target groups for whom they are caregivers.