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• Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women overall� 365,953 in the year 2000. But cancer is the leading cause of death among 35- to 54-year-olds�32,995 in 2000. • One in four women over age 65 has some form of heart disease. After age 50, women begin to develop and die from heart disease at a rate equal to that of men. • Annual costs associated with osteoporosis are estimated at $14 billion. Approximately 15 percent of caucasian women over age 50 (about 5 million) have osteoporosis. The condition accounts for 70 percent of all the fractures occurring annually in people over age 45. • More than 13 million people in the U.S. experience incontinence, but women experience it twice as often as men do. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. • Arthritis is the most common and disabling condition reported by women. At least 26.4 million women have arthritis and by the year 2020, an estimated 36 million women will be affected. • Today, one in eight people is over age 65. By 2030, that number will approach one in four. The fastest growing segment is the 85-plus age group, in which women constitute the majority. • The most common major surgery that women have is Caesarean section delivery. Hysterectomy is the second most common; each year more than 600,000 hysterectomies are performed. • An estimated 13 million Americans have thyroid disorders. Women are five to eight times more likely than men to suffer from an overactive or underactive thyroid. Sources: The National Women's Health Information Center; National Center for Health Statistics
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