Announcement: The Women’s Healthy Heart Initiative is now the Wendy Wray Women’s Healthy Heart Initiative.
Announcement: The Women’s Healthy Heart Initiative is now the Wendy Wray Women’s Healthy Heart Initiative.
Most women find out about heart disease too late. Not because the signs were not there. Because nobody told them their risks were different.
89% of Canadian women are unaware of their unique sex related risk factors.
Our focus is on giving you the evidence-based facts and information you need to independently improve your heart health — including sex and gender specific risk, which is too often overlooked.
Age, family history, being female. These raise your baseline risk. You need to know them.
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Cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, weight, activity, nutrition. These are within your power.
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Risk increases with age, particularly after menopause. The hormonal changes that come with menopause directly affect your cardiovascular health in ways that are specific to women.
A parent or sibling with heart disease or an elevated Lpa raises your risk. This does not mean heart disease is inevitable. It means your modifiable risks matter even more. Ask your family about their health history.
Women have a unique set of sex-specific cardiovascular risk factors that are too often missed in standard medical settings. These are covered in detail below.
Particularly abdominal obesity. Linked to inflammation and metabolic risk in women.
The silent killer. No symptoms until damage is done. Get it checked regularly at your nearby pharmacy.
A stronger risk factor for women than men. Blood sugar management matters enormously.
Quitting is the single most impactful change you can make for your heart health.
High LDL-C or APO-B contributes to arterial plaque over time. Maybe amendable with weight loss but usually requires medication.
30 minutes of moderate movement most days significantly reduces risk. It does not have to be the gym.
Diet directly affects cholesterol, blood pressure, weight and inflammation. Small consistent changes add up.
Important for women: Diabetes and smoking carry a greater cardiovascular risk in women than in men. If either applies to you, managing them is a priority.
Ask yourself: do any of these apply to me?
Menopause between age 40 to 44 is associated with a 40% higher lifetime risk of coronary heart disease. One of the most underrecognised risk factors in women's cardiovascular health.
Also referred to as Poly-Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. Linked to higher cardiovascular risk later in life and often underdiagnosed in standard medical settings.
Gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, preterm births and placental abruption are all linked to increased future cardiovascular risk in women.
Arthritis, lupus and similar conditions are linked to elevated heart disease risk. These conditions are significantly more common in women than in men.
A recognised cardiovascular risk factor in women, often undertreated. The link between mental and heart health is real and well documented.
Certain causes of infertility have been linked to increased long-term cardiovascular risk. Worth mentioning to your healthcare provider.
Some treatments can affect heart health. Worth discussing with your care team if this applies to you now or in the future.
Both carry a greater cardiovascular risk in women than in men. Two of the most controllable and most impactful risk factors you can address today.