For many women, heart disease is not a sudden event but a slow, silent build-up of risk that often goes unnoticed. Gaps in awareness, delayed diagnosis, and the tendency for symptoms to be overlooked or dismissed mean that warning signs are frequently not taken seriously – allowing underlying issues to progress unchecked until a major cardiovascular event occurs.
Dr Sanjay Bhojraj, an interventional cardiologist and functional medicine expert with over 20 years of experience, is drawing attention to the distinct ways cardiovascular risk presents in women – highlighting the persistent gap in awareness, diagnosis, and care in women’s heart health.
In an Instagram video shared on April 6, the cardiologist emphasises, “Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women not because it’s sudden, but because it’s been building for years.”
Symptoms get dismissed
Women’s symptoms are far more likely to be overlooked or dismissed, notes Dr Bhojraj. By the time they eventually seek medical attention, years of unaddressed fatigue, chronic stress, poor sleep, weight fluctuations, and mounting metabolic strain have already taken a toll – making a cardiac event more likely to happen.
The cardiologist explains, “Symptoms get dismissed. What I see first isn’t a heart attack – it’s years of fatigue, chronic stress, poor sleep, weight changes, and metabolic strain. Emotional stress alone has a measurable impact on inflammation and cardiovascular risk. It adds up.”
Risk spikes after menopause
Oestrogen functions as a key cardioprotective hormone, and as its levels decline after menopause, the risk to heart health rises sharply. Dr Bhojraj highlights that falling oestrogen not only disrupts hormonal balance but also accelerates increases in blood pressure and cholesterol, while contributing to greater vascular stiffness.
He explains, “Risk spikes after menopause. Once oestrogen drops, everything accelerates – blood pressure, cholesterol, vascular stiffness. So if the groundwork has been building for years, this is where risk sharply increases.”
Outcomes are worse
The cardiologist further notes that once a cardiac event occurs, outcomes for women are often more severe – and in some cases, fatal. Women are more likely than men to die within a year of a heart attack, a disparity largely driven by symptoms being overlooked or dismissed, delayed diagnosis, and slower initiation of treatment, all of which make recovery significantly more challenging.
Dr Bhojraj highlights, “Outcomes are worse after it happens. Women are more likely to die within a year of a heart attack than men. It’s because symptoms are missed, treatment is delayed, and recovery is harder.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
