It’s the number one killer of American woman — one in five women in the United States have some form of heart disease, according to the American Heart Assn.

“We know a lot about men and heart disease but we don’t know very much about women and heart disease,” said Marcia McCoy, director of the Women’s Cardiac Center at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. “This really could have a devastating impact on health care for our families.”

McCoy spoke to about 100 women who attended a program today in Lawrence that focused on heart disease and women. The event was part of the AMA’s national “Go Red for Women” campaign.

The campaign was started to educate women about heart issues. It’s been suggested that fewer than half of all women are aware that heart disease is the top killer of American women. Most women identify cancer as the leading cause of death.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Friday’s Journal-World.