Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women in Australia. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes diseases of the heart, veins and arteries. Risk factors for CVD include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, being overweight, depression and family history. For women, the risk of developing CVD increases significantly after menopause.
Many women are not aware of the high risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Check your risk of heart disease today and get practical tips on how to improve your health
There are many causes, which are factors, in developing cardiovascular disease. The more factors a woman has in her life, the higher her risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Causes that we can alter include being overweight, high blood pressure, high total cholesterol levels, raised blood glucose, lack of physical activity, poor diet, alcohol consumption and smoking.
Some causes we can’t do much about include age, having a family history of cardiovascular disease, and ethnic background. Other risk factors can be reduced through lifestyle choices.
The following list discusses the common causes of cardiovascular diseases and what you can do.
Having consistently high blood pressure can:
Have an annual blood pressure check.
Have an annual cholesterol check.
Activities that help to manage and lower cholesterol are:
If you need help to reduce or quit smoking, visit quit.org.au or call 13 7848.
Activities that help to manage and lower cholesterol are:
If you know you have this risk factor, it is important to take action to reduce other risk factors.
Go to healthy living for help with weight management to combat this risk.
Lack of physical activity is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease for women.
Go to healthy living for help with increasing physical activity to combat this risk.
Being part of a family with a history of heart disease is an important indicator in whether a woman has an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
This is important information to tell your doctor.
Some ethnic groups including Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Discuss with your doctor how your family background may influence your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and what you can do to reduce other risk factors.
As women age beyond menopause, factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes become more common, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
Women are entitled to a Medicare health check between the ages 45-49 at which they can discuss menopause and any increased risk they may have of developing cardiovascular disease.
Research shows having depression and feeling socially isolated increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.[5]
More information about coping with depression is available here.
Regular health checks are important for your cardiovascular health. Knowing the numbers of key health measures can help you to know if you need to make some changes for the benefit of your current and future health.
This web page is designed to be informative and educational. It is not intended to provide specific medical advice or replace advice from your health practitioner. The information above is based on current medical knowledge, evidence and practice as at February 2021.
