I grew up believing women were at lower risk of heart disease than men.
At least that's what my Dad told me — and he was a doctor.
He was right — until women hit menopause.
After menopause, women have the SAME risk of dying from cardiovascular disease as men.
And yet:
- Most women do not know this
- We are underdiagnosed
- We are often dismissed
It is time to retire this myth.
Here is what is really happening:
For women, the symptoms do not fit the textbook; medical diagnostics were built around male coronary disease.
Women are more likely to have these issues:
- Microvascular dysfunction
- Diffuse plaque
- Fatigue, nausea, breathlessness
- Jaw or back discomfort (instead of crushing chest pain)
Tests can look normal.
Disease can still be present.
And for women, risk gets minimised:
• Abdominal weight gain is dismissed as just menopause
• Blood pressure creeping up is described as "borderline" or a "bit high"
Women are told it's in their heads.
Women with palpitations, chest tightness, fatigue, or dizziness are more likely to be told it is stress or anxiety.
Advocate for yourself.
Push for appropriate testing.
What to do:
1️⃣ Know your numbers
- Blood pressure
- Lipids, including LDL and ApoB
- Glucose and HbA1c
- Hip to waist ratio
2️⃣ Do not ignore subtle changes
- New breathlessness
- Reduced ability to exercise or do things you used to do easily
- Unusual fatigue
- That quiet inner voice saying something is not right
Ask your doctor directly:
Could this be cardiovascular?
Here is the truth:
Women after menopause have been understudied and underestimated for decades.
Your cardiovascular health is not background noise.
It is central to how well you age.
Treat it that way.