Heart disease is the leading causes of death of women in Ireland but yet, many of us still consider it a male illness.

Cardiovascular disease claims more women’s lives than breast cancer, while women are more than two times more likely than men to die after a heart attack. The risk of heart disease substantially increases during menopause and yet, women and their doctors often underestimate the severity of their symptoms.

Why is that?

Years of poor research into women’s cardiac health, combined with the perception often promoted through film and TV that heart attacks solely happen to men, has created a distorted image of this disease and resulted in a health system primarily designed to cater for the needs of men, not women.

For decades, scientific experts presumed the results of cardiac trials designed using the male anatomy would also hold true for women. Women’s hormonal fluctuations during periods and menopause often excluded them from heart disease trials.

And while research into heart disease among women has improved in the past decade, many women have no idea the risks they face, particularly during and after menopause.

So, what are the heart attack warning signs women need to watch out for? And what changes can they make early to try to avoid heart disease?

Today, on In The News, cardiovascular nurse Shirley Ingram reflects on her personal experience of suffering a heart attack. And Dr Sharon O’Donell and Dr Deidre Daly from Trinity College discuss how the university’s international Caramel project hopes to transform how women understand this disease.

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair.

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