According to the American Heart Association, one in three adult women has some form of cardiovascular disease. In the United States from 2016-2018, women of all ages died at a rate of 129.5 per 100,000 from all heart diseases, while women in North Carolina died at a rate of 121.5. In 2017, heart disease was the leading cause of death for women in the United States. In 2020, heart disease surpassed cancer to become the leading cause of death in the United States.
The North Carolina Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (NC WISEWOMAN) Project provides cardiovascular disease screening, intervention, counseling and referral services to women eligible for the North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (NC BCCCP). NC WISEWOMAN’s mission is to provide low-income, underinsured, or uninsured 40- to 64-year-old women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to improve their diet, physical activity, and other life habits to prevent, delay, or control cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
NC WISEWOMAN services are offered in conjunction with NC BCCCP services at approximately 31 local health departments and community health centers across the state.
Women who are eligible for NC BCCCP services and reside in counties that have a participating NC WISEWOMAN provider are also eligible for NC WISEWOMAN services.