You can make a difference for women's heart health by spreading the word, sharing resources and encouraging your loved ones to take preventative measures.
Did you know that, while heart disease is on the decline among men, it’s rising among women? In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of premature death among women in Canada. For Canadian women, understanding heart health is essential for life-saving prevention and detection.
Key differences in heart health
Women's experiences with heart disease often differ from men's in several important ways:
- Disease presentation: Women are more likely to develop heart disease in the smaller blood vessels of the heart, known as microvascular disease, rather than in the major coronary arteries. This can lead to symptoms that don't fit the classic picture of heart disease.
- Symptom variations: As opposed to the crushing pain of a “Hollywood heart attack,” women are more likely to experience chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue, indigestion, nausea, back or neck pain. These subtler symptoms can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment.
- Diagnostic challenges: Standard diagnostic tools like angiograms and stress tests may be less effective in detecting heart disease in women, particularly microvascular disease. Women are also less likely to be prescribed needed drugs, including blood pressure or cholesterol-lowering medication, after a heart attack.
Why this matters for older Canadians
Women typically experience heart disease onset about ten years later than men. While women can develop heart disease at any age, it’s believed that premenopausal women benefit from estrogen’s protective effect on the cardiovascular system. As women age, especially post-menopause, their risk increases because of hormonal changes and the higher likelihood of comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension.
Women who experience early menopause, especially after the uterus is surgically removed, are also more likely to develop heart disease than women of the same age who have yet to go through menopause.
The power of prevention
The encouraging news is that experts estimate that up to 80 per cent of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and stroke, can be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices and the management of risk factors. In other words, habits like eating smart, exercising regularly and avoiding smoking can have a massive impact on your health.
Spread awareness
For half of women who experience a heart attack, their symptoms go unrecognized. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
Awareness is a powerful tool. Share this information with your friends, family and networks. By fostering open conversations about women's heart health, especially among older Canadians, we can work together to reduce risks and save lives.
Wear Red Canada is a campaign dedicated to raising awareness about women's heart health across the country. On Feb. 13, and throughout the month of February, Canadians wear red to raise awareness about women's heart health and spark important conversations on social media using the hashtag #HerHeartMatters.
For more detailed information, research and resources, visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Wear Red Canada online.