Boehringer Ingelheim is teaming with Eli Lilly and Co. on the new initiative Hear Your Heart, which is designed to empower Black and Latina women to become more cognitive of heart health issues.
In announcing the initiative, the companies issued a statement that noted how “healthcare professionals are less likely to adhere to guidelines in the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in women when compared to men, which can lead to undertreatment. Moreover, Black and Latina women with heart failure face additional obstacles in treatment ”“ they are less likely to be admitted to specialized cardiology units, which can lead to worse outcomes.”
The companies also noted a lack of diverse representation among healthcare professionals: only 37% of physicians are female, but of that percentage only 2% are Black women. And while Latinos make up more than 18% of the population, just 6% are healthcare professionals.
Hear Your Heart will include programming and resources for healthcare providers and medical students, with Spanish language resources becoming available later in 2022.
“Proactive and comprehensive heart failure care can lead to better patient outcomes not just for the cardiovascular system, but the renal and metabolic systems as well, given they are interconnected,” said Anita Holz, executive director of Therapeutic Area Head Cardiometabolism and Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Ridgefield-based Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “With Hear Your Heart, we are not only providing education and resources to support holistic care, but we are encouraging women with heart failure to reassess their care to determine what areas they can address to put themselves first and feel their best living with the condition.”
Photograph: Photomix / Pixabay
