Before menopause women generally have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But after menopause this risk increases. Oestrogen is a hormone which helps regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle, it also offers some protection against heart disease by helping to control cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of narrowing of blood vessels.
Awareness of women’s experience of cardiac health conditions is limited. Cardiac health is often underestimated and under treated in women compared to men, despite it being one of the leading causes of death.
A number of factors can increase the chance of women developing cardiovascular disease, these include: Smoking, being overweight, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, not doing enough physical activity.
