Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading preventable cause of death and hospitalization among women in Canada. Despite this, significant health inequalities remain in the prevention, detection, and management of CVD due to gaps in research, awareness, and education. 

The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance (CWHHA) was founded in 2018 to close these gaps, through evidence-based practices, clinical transformation, and supportive public policy. 

The CWHHA is a pan-Canadian network of over 230 volunteers—including clinicians, researchers, people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and advocates—focused on improving women’s cardiovascular health through five key themes: (1) Knowledge Translation and Mobilization; (2) Training and Education, (3) Health Systems and Policy; (4) Advocacy, and most recently, with this funding opportunity, (5) Research and Knowledge Generation.

The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance (CWHHA) is building on its strong foundation to establish a dedicated research arm to amplify cardiovascular health research’s impact for women. By fostering a diverse, collaborative, and sustainable network of researchers, clinicians, trainees, patient advocates, and community partners, we aim to improve cardiovascular outcomes for women across Canada.

In alignment with the 2021 Lancet Commission’s call to action, the CWHHA Cardiovascular Health Hub is building on existing infrastructure to: 

• scale existing and implement new evidence-based strategies for prevention, detection, and management of cardiovascular disease in women; 
• enhance research impact through the development of our new research arm; 
• build capacity for the next generation of health researchers by enhancing education, training, and mentorship opportunities; and, 
• engage underserved populations to identify critical gaps and opportunities for innovative solutions.

Despite progress in medical research, a significant gap exists in knowledge of women’s heart health: many women are unaware of risk factors or symptoms, and health care providers often lack the appropriate relevant expertise. Clinical trials have focused predominantly on men/male participants, limiting our understanding of how cardiovascular treatments affect women. Prioritization of women’s heart health in research is required to address these gaps and provide a foundation for systemic change in education and public health policies.

Clavel, Marie-Annick et al. The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women — Chapter 8: Knowledge Gaps and Status of Existing Research Programs in Canada. CJC Open, Volume 6, Issue 2, 220 – 257.

The CWHHA is therefore working to increase the representation of women in cardiovascular research and to ensure that all studies include sex, gender, and racialization considerations in their methodologies, results analyses, and discussions—at every level, from registries to advanced clinical research. 

The CWHHA is structured such that all members, including patient advocates, are equal partners. The CWHHA has been committed to maintaining an equitable and inclusive environment, engaging communities during all stages of project implementation. We are committed to working with our members to engage underrepresented groups of women, particularly with South Asian, Black, and Indigenous communities, gender-diverse, immigrant, and low-income women with the ultimate goal of improving care and outcomes for women at risk of or living with CVD.

Planned activities of new CWHHA Research and Knowledge Generation arm:

1. National women’s cardiovascular health trainee network

• Pair mentees with mentors by areas of interest;
• Develop an online training platform with regular webinars;
• Host interactive multi-day, in person education and networking event for trainees, early-career investigators, and CWHHA mentors (clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates)

2. Online patient-informed registry and research platform

• Bring participants and researchers together to expand knowledge by collecting data and providing an open-source longitudinal dynamic registry for conducting research studies

3. Awards

• Offer research awards for early career investigators 
• Offer trainee research awards
• Offer trainee and PWLLE travel awards to attend the CWHHS

1. Implement new and scale existing evidence-based strategies to improve awareness, prevention, detection, and management of CVD in women
2. Maximize research impact by developing a new research arm/theme of the Alliance 
3. Build capacity for the next generation of health researchers by enhancing education, training, and mentorship opportunities
4. Engage underserved populations to identify gaps and opportunities for future research and innovative interventions in women’s cardiovascular health.

The CWHHA will have a research arm dedicated to maximizing research impact and building a diverse, collaborative, and sustainable network of researchers, clinicians, trainees, patient advocates, and community partners, working together to improve cardiovascular health for women in Canada.

If the CWHHA achieves its vision, women will experience improved cardiovascular health across the lifespan through earlier detection, better prevention, and personalized treatments. 

• Research will become more inclusive, with increased representation of women and underrepresented groups, addressing critical gaps in knowledge about cardiovascular disease. 
• Clinical practices will routinely incorporate sex- and gender-specific evidence, ensuring more effective care for women. 
• Public health policies will reflect a stronger focus on women’s heart health, prioritizing awareness, prevention, and equitable access to care. 
• Additionally, a diverse and collaborative network of clinicians, researchers, patients, and advocates will drive continuous progress, ensuring systemic change and lasting impact on women’s cardiovascular health in Canada. 

This transformation will result in more equitable healthcare outcomes and improved quality of life for women nationwide.

Driving Change for Women in Research

Participate in Research (Directory of research opportunities)

Wear Red Canada Media Coverage: https://wearredcanada.ca/media 

CJC Open: Canadian Women’s Heart Health ATLAS Collection: https://www.cjcopen.ca/womens_heart_health_alliance 

CWHHA YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyqfZALEX5CHN5PYbsIkG2ZGHYJ2iNGA3&si=ACOmxkXi5jFo96l9 

2022 CCS Harold Segall Award of Merit: CWHHA: https://x.com/CWHHAlliance/status/1585781378750242818

Instagram, X, Facebook: @CWHHAlliance  

#HerHeartMatters #ElleNousTientACoeur

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.cwhha.ca/

Lead Investigator: 

• Kerri-Anne Mullen,PhD

Lead PWLLE:

• Jennifer Monaghan, LLB, BA 

Principal Applicants

Thais Coutinho, MD