Experts are asking women to be more proactive about their heart health — especially during menopause. Here, L360 finds out everything you need to know.
After suddenly collapsing from pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium) and nearly facing major impact on her football career, footballer Fran Kirby partnered with healthcare company Bluecrest for the On the Ball campaign to raise awareness about heart health.
The campaign’s message is clear: cardiovascular disease isn’t just something older men need to worry about.
Take Fran — a fit, healthy professional athlete — and yet she still suffered from heart complications. If it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone, right? “I want other women to hear my story and think about checking in with their own health,” she urges.
According to the British Heart Foundation, heart and circulatory diseases cause around a quarter of all deaths in the UK — that’s more than 170,000 deaths each year. More than 3.6 million women in the UK are currently living with heart disease and one in 14 women will die from heart or coronary conditions.
But does being a woman increase your risk of developing heart disease? Or the likelihood of fatal consequences? We asked the experts.
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What’s cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a broad term for all conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels.
According to Dr Martin Thornton, chief medical officer at Bluecrest, this includes heart attacks, angina, heart failure, strokes, peripheral arterial disease and aortic disease.
These issues usually develop when blood vessels become narrowed or blocked, reducing blood flow to vital organs — which, over time, can cause serious or even life-threatening damage.
Risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- High BMI
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Physical inactivity
- Family history
Is the risk of cardiovascular disease worse for women?
These conditions can affect anyone, regardless of age. However — like many diseases — for a long time, cardiovascular disease was thought of as a condition that only impacted men.
In reality, as Bluecrest’s chief nurse Anna points out, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide and a major cause of death in women over the age of 65.
Since heart attacks are typically considered a ‘male condition’, women may wait longer before seeking help. And to make matters worse, “symptoms can be more subtle in women”, says Anna, which leads to underdiagnosis.
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Why does cardiovascular disease affect women differently?
One of the biggest risk factors for women is the hormonal shift that happens naturally during menopause.
Dr Shirin Lakhani, an expert in menopause and hormone health, explains that during menopause, women “lose the cardio-protective effect of oestrogen as it decreases rapidly”, which, in turn, increases the risk of heart disease.
Add to this that metabolism slows down during menopause (potentially increasing weight gain), and the risk is elevated even further.
Pregnancy-related conditions like pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) can also increase the risk of long-term heart disease.
But the crucial issue here isn’t necessarily even that women are more biologically at risk, as Dr Thornton stresses. It’s that they’re more likely to be misdiagnosed or, sadly, not taken seriously by GPs when they come in with symptoms, which can lead to complications down the line.
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Worse still, it’s common for women to miss or downplay signs of poor heart health. As Anna says: “We often put our families, work or others’ needs ahead of our own, attributing new symptoms to exhaustion or hormonal changes.”
Dr Thornton says this can be dangerous: “Early treatment and lifestyle changes can make a major difference — especially when women don’t recognise or report symptoms in time.”
This is a big part of why Fran has been involved in the campaign, urging women to recognise: “Continuous monitoring builds a clearer picture over time and gives you the confidence to take control of your health.”
So how do we know when we should see a doctor?
Signs of heart disease in women
The most common symptom in both men and women is chest pain. But when women have heart attacks, they might also experience more nausea along with the pain.
Sadly, women’s symptoms are often written off as tiredness or hormonal issues, which is why staying body-aware is so important.
Anna suggests watching out for these symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Persistent pain in the back or jaw
- Feeling faint or lightheaded
- Fatigue or sleep disruption
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How can women prevent heart disease?
According to Anna and Dr Martin, prevention is the most powerful tool. A health screening can catch warning signs early, before symptoms appear.
Furthermore, there are various lifestyle changes that can make a big difference, including:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet (low in saturated fat, salt and added sugar)
- Exercise regularly — especially cardiovascular workouts
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking
- Manage stress
- Monitor blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels
- Get regular health screenings
- Avoid or limit alcohol
- Manage any existing conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure
- Prioritise sleep
Ultimately, be vigilant. Watch out for the signs and book a consultation with a GP immediately should anything concern you.
Feature image: Bluecrest On the Ball campaign
