New Gender Equality Strategy recognises women's cardiovascular health gaps

European policy moves forward on gender and cardiovascular health

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) welcomes the growing recognition of gender disparities in cardiovascular health at the highest policymaking levels. One recent major policy development – the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030, published on 5 March 2026 – reflects long‑standing ESC advocacy priorities and marks an important step in the right direction for women’s health, a trend already visible with the publication of the EU Safe Hearts Plan last December. 

Why gender equity must be a priority

Women in Europe face worse outcomes than men following acute cardiovascular events and continue to be frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late. Despite this, female representation in clinical trials remains inadequate, contributing to a persistent misconception that CVD is primarily a “men’s disease.”

“Cardiovascular disease takes more lives than any other condition, and women are disproportionately affected,” says Prof. Maria Rubini Gimenez, Chair of the ESC Gender Task Force. “This imbalance must be addressed."

Gender in the Safe Hearts Plan

To recall, the European Commission’s new Safe Hearts Plan calls for a gender-sensitive approach to cardiovascular prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The Plan highlights:

• The higher likelihood of women being misdiagnosed;
• Delays in treatment for female patients;
• Increased cardiovascular risk linked to women-specific conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, adverse pregnancy outcomes and pregnancy loss.

Crucially, the Safe Hearts Plan introduces a Cardiovascular Research & Innovation Roadmap, a flagship initiative designed to:

• Close the cardiovascular research gap;
• Improve understanding of sex- and gender-specific mechanisms of disease;
• Strengthen research on risk factors, disease pathways and differential symptom profiles.

These priorities closely reflect our advocacy messages, which have been proactively delivered through policy dialogues, expert consultations, webinars and ESC Congress sessions.

CVD in the new EU Gender Equality Strategy

The inclusion of cardiovascular health in the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030 is also an important milestone. The Strategy names cardiovascular disease as a field where sex differences remain poorly understood and emphasises the need for:

• Gender-sensitive medical research
• Inclusive diagnostics and treatment
• Better integration of gender perspectives into health education and training opportunities.

The Strategy also outlines concrete actions, including:

• Addressing the absence of gender topics in medical curricula;
• Working with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to embed gender considerations into medicinal research and development;
• Using the revision of the Clinical Trials Regulation (as part of the EU Biotech Act) to strengthen gender inclusivity and population diversity in trials. 

A shared achievement and a call to action

“These are significant achievements for the ESC and for its Gender Task Force,” says Prof. Rubini Gimenez. “It is encouraging to see gender and female representation reflected in the Safe Hearts Plan and cardiovascular disease included in the Gender Equality Strategy. There is much work ahead, but the direction is positive.”

Through continued evidence generation, advocacy, professional education and support for women in cardiology, the ESC remains committed to closing the gender gap in cardiovascular health and working with relevant EU institutions and actors to achieve this.