Women's Heart Health
WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE
Heart Disease in women is distinctly different to men. Men will have the classical Heart Attack of excruciating chest pain often said to feel like a "bus was sitting on the chest" whereas women show different signs of Heart Attacks. These signs could be pain in the Left Arm, Jaw Ache, Head aches, Back Pain and others. Why is this so?
To quote Dr Nikki Stamp, Australian cardio-thoracic surgeon.
"Up and until menopause, women make oestrogen. Oestrogen is a pretty great hormone to have around because it protects against some diseases. Oestrogen helps keep your bones strong so you don't get osteoporosis. In the heart and blood vessels, oestrogen acts as an almost perfect antidote to heart disease. Oestrogen is very good at calming down the the process of production of "bad cholesterol". It sends signals to calm down the walls of blood vessels and sends cholesterol to be stored where it can't damage blood vessels. This means that whilst men have the classic blocked blood vessel heart attack, women experience a slow narrowing of the blood vessel resulting in a different type of heart attack"
Her Heart is Australia’s only not-for-profit (NFP) focused on the prevention of women’s heart disease. As it has been found that the death of women due to heart disease is largely preventable, Her Heart aspires to educate and empower women to take control of their lives and make the necessary changes to decrease their risk of developing heart disease. You can access the Her Heart website resources, videos and other information here for the latest news on women and heart health. Also, please remember to join the Her Heart newsletter for regular updates sent to your email address.
