It puts additional pressure on institutions. For us, it's $34,000. It is less revenue that we have to carry out our services to students.

We need to make sure physicians are aware that women may need special tests and different diagnostic procedures to identity and treat cardiovascular disease. Future challenges will require more research to understand disparities in care.

Wear Red Day is an opportunity for everyone to remember their female friends and family members who have suffered from the disease. It's also a time to think about their own hearts and take charge of their own health.

This year's state of heart for women brings good news and bad news: Death rates are down and awareness is up, but there are still gaps in care.

We must reverse this trend. Medical research plays a vital role in the discovery of treatments and cures for heart disease and stroke. It has yielded the medical breakthroughs we now take for granted.

This year's state of heart for women brings good news and bad news: Death rates are down and awareness is up, but there are still gaps in care.