Dr. Tara Sedlak, Director of the Leslie Diamond Women's Heart Health Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and researcher with the Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation says the report System failure: Healthcare inequities continue to leave women's heart and brain health behind plays an important role in raising awareness about the unique factors in women's heart health.

“This report is crucial for highlighting numerous inequities between men and women in the field of heart disease, starting with risk factors and presenting symptoms to diagnoses, causes and treatments," says Dr. Sedlak, who also founded women's heart health initiative Wear Red Day Canada.

System failure reports that heart disease is on the rise and is the leading cause of death for women worldwide. Despite this, half of women who experience heart attacks have their symptoms go unrecognized, and they are less likely than men to receive the treatments and medications they need or get them in a timely way.

Women's distinct risk factors

According to the report, women face distinct risk factors for heart disease and stroke – and at different points in their lives including pregnancy and menopause. Additionally, as they age, women acquire cardiovascular risk factors at a faster rate than men.

Risk also increases when various intersecting and overlapping factors are indicated, such as race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, geography, body size and ability.

Societal gender role expectations can create further barriers to care and support as women tend to prioritize the health needs of their family over their own, take on greater caregiver responsibilities and have more challenges advocating for themselves.

Heart disease in women is different than men

Certain types of heart conditions are more common in women, and women can be impacted differently by heart disease and stroke. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a common cause of heart attacks in younger women and during pregnancy or following childbirth. Patients with SCAD do not have the standard risk factors for cholesterol-types of heart attacks.

VCH cardiologist Dr. Jacqueline Saw has led ground-breaking SCAD research resulting in increased diagnoses nationally and internationally, and has established a SCAD registry.

Dr. Saw stresses the importance of women of all ages knowing heart disease's risks and symptoms.