Malissa Wood was the recipient of the 1st Women’s Heart Award for her involvement in the study, treatment and dissemination of cardiac pathologies in women. This last point, that of PREVENTION, developed from her experience at the head of the ‘Go Red For Women’ initiative because, as she explains, “thanks to this type of campaign, improvements have been achieved in the recognition of the risks of cardiovascular disease in women, the creation of grants to support the study of heart disease, strengthening the support needed to improve female cardiovascular health and the design of programs to encourage young women to develop STEM careers”.

For this expert, “the ideal scenario for all, in terms of cardiovascular prevention, would be one in which education in heart-healthy lifestyle habits is incorporated from school, before the age of 18, in which primary care physicians are more and better involved in the recognition of female risk factors and in which women are able to identify their own symptoms associated with this disease. Also one in which we have Women’s Specific Units, in specialized clinics, capable of identifying, diagnosing, treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases affecting the female sex, while contributing to research and developing new tools and treatments to improve diagnosis.”