EP405: Cardiovascular Risk For Women with Dr. Foo

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Podcast Summary Introduction Dr. Warrick Bishop, a cardiologist, author, and CEO of the Healthy Heart Network, hosts this episode with Dr. Fiona, an interventional cardiologist specializing in women's heart health at Sydney Cardiology and Macquarie University. The episode explores how cardiovascular risk factors differ between men and women, highlighting the often under-recognized epidemic of heart disease in women, which causes more deaths than all cancers combined. Key Takeaways: Coronary heart disease is the second leading cause of death in women in Australia, yet it remains significantly under-recognized by both patients and medical professionals compared to other health threats like breast cancer. Several traditional cardiovascular risk factors—including diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and obesity—pose greater risks to women than men, yet women often receive less aggressive treatment to reach targets. Adverse pregnancy outcomes such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and gestational diabetes are sex-specific risk factors that significantly increase women's future cardiovascular disease risk, even in young, reproductive-age women. Women with complicated pregnancies should be monitored closely throughout their lives with regular blood pressure checks, glucose monitoring, and maintenance of healthy lifestyle factors including exercise and diet. Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions—particularly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis—disproportionately affect women and substantially increase their risk of early heart attacks and myocardial infarction, sometimes even before menopause. The severity and complexity of autoimmune diseases amplify cardiovascular risk, especially when combined with traditional risk factors like high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes. Breast cancer treatment, particularly left-sided radiation therapy, can lead to delayed coronary artery disease and impaired heart function, creating additional cardiovascular risks for cancer survivors. Early identification and proactive management of cardiovascular risk in women is crucial because modern medicine can effectively manage heart disease when identified early, but unexpected cardiovascular events can be life-threatening. Patient engagement and awareness are essential; women should take ownership of their cardiovascular health by asking questions and working collaboratively with their GPs and specialists. Multidisciplinary medical care is improving, with rheumatologists, dermatologists, and other specialists increasingly recognizing their responsibility to monitor cardiovascular risk factors in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.