One in four women die from heart disease or stroke: how to prevent it

Janis Morrissey

Director of Health Promotion, Information and Training, Irish Heart Foundation

Women need to take stock of their heart health, as their risk of heart disease and stroke rises as they move through menopause.

One in four women die from heart disease or stroke, yet many women do not realise they are at risk. According to the Lancet, cardiovascular disease in women is under-researched, underdiagnosed and under-treated; and women are underrepresented in clinical trials compared to their male counterparts.

Effects of oestrogen decrease on heart health

The risk of heart disease and stroke increases for everyone as they age. But for women, the years around menopause are an important time to care for your heart health due to changes in hormones, primarily the decrease of oestrogen.

Almost one-third (30%) of women do not feel they have enough time to focus on their health every day.

Oestrogen helps to protect women by keeping the blood vessels flexible and helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels. When this protection is lost, some risk factors for cardiovascular disease increase. This can result in the stiffening and weakening of the blood vessels, increased cholesterol, increased blood pressure and changes in body shape, weight, muscle and fat stores. These changes occur often alongside common menopause symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, fatigue, depression and anxiety.

Simple routes to a healthy lifestyle

A total of 4,145 women died from cardiovascular disease in Ireland last year, making women six times more likely to die from heart disease and stroke than breast cancer. Early detection and management of cardiovascular risk factors are essential if we are to improve women’s heart health and reduce early deaths in women. According to research carried out by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Irish Heart Foundation, almost one-third (30%) of women do not feel they have enough time to focus on their health every day.

The good news is that 80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable through changes to your lifestyle. Most women already know what makes a healthy lifestyle, but the many demands of modern life can get in the way. Some ideas include trying to manage stress, starting a conversation with your healthcare provider, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

Learn about health in your own time

The Irish Heart Foundation’s Her Heart Matters website www.herheartmatters.ie provides useful resources for women looking to implement small, sustainable changes to their lifestyle to safeguard against cardiovascular disease, including a free self-care and wellbeing journal, personal experiences of living with heart disease and stroke and a self-assessment quiz.