Why Women’s Heart Health Is Finally Getting the Attention It Deserves
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in Ireland. Not breast cancer. Not anything else you might assume. Heart disease. And yet women are still being under-diagnosed, under-treated and essentially overlooked when it comes to cardiac care. It's a gap that needed addressing… and last Friday, some of Ireland's leading medical minds gathered to do exactly that.
The inaugural Women's Heart Summit took place on 24th January, hosted by Mater Private Network and the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) Dublin. Supported by the Irish Cardiac Society and Irish Heart Foundation, the event brought together over 350 cardiologists, GPs and healthcare professionals to tackle one big question: why are women still getting a raw deal when it comes to heart health?
The Numbers Don't Lie
Here's the thing. Women don't always experience heart disease the same way men do. Symptoms can present differently, responses to treatment vary, and there's been a historical under-representation of women in cardiovascular research. All of which adds up to a situation where women aren't receiving the same standard of care. It's not a minor oversight; it's a systemic problem.
Panelists discuss cardiovascular health at the Women's Heart Summit.
Dr Róisín Colleran, Consultant Cardiologist at Mater Private Network, didn't mince words at the summit. "Heart disease in women has been a neglected area for a long time, despite being the number one killer of women in Ireland and worldwide," she said. "Women are often under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated, and do not always receive the same guideline-directed care as men."
She pointed to gaps in understanding, gender bias and differences in symptom presentation as key factors. "This Women's Heart Summit was created to shine a spotlight on these disparities and to ensure that women's heart health gains its rightful place at the centre of clinical practice, research and education."
Global Experts Weigh In
One of the standout moments came from Prof. Roxana Mehran, a renowned interventional cardiologist from Mount Sinai Hospital in the US and President-Elect of the American College of Cardiology. She presented findings from the Lancet Commission report titled 'Heart Disease in Women: Under-recognised, Under-diagnosed, Under-treated'. The report outlined systemic challenges facing women globally when it comes to accessing equal cardiac care and identified key changes needed to close that gap.
A speaker presents at the Women's Heart Summit.
Prof. Julie De Backer, Genetic Cardiologist at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium, also spoke on the European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for managing cardiovascular disease during pregnancy. She emphasised that prevention remains the single most effective way of managing CVD, offering far greater benefit than treatment alone. Education, she stressed, plays a vital role in empowering women to recognise risk factors, understand symptoms and adopt healthier lifestyles for themselves and their children.
What Was Covered
The summit didn't shy away from the specifics either. Sessions explored heart failure in women, spontaneous coronary artery disease, breast cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity and heart health during menopause. Essentially? All the stuff that affects women's hearts in ways that don't always make headlines but absolutely should.
Dr Colleran summed up the ambition behind the event: "By bringing together experts from Ireland and across the world, the Summit aims to drive progress in how cardiovascular disease in women is prevented, recognised and treated, translating evidence, education and innovation into improved outcomes for women in Ireland and beyond."
Mater Private Network has positioned itself as a leader in cardiovascular care in Ireland, and events like this are clearly part of a broader push to advance excellence in cardiac care through education. A full recording of the summit will be available to medical professionals at Medcafe.ie and materprivate.ie.
The conversation around women's heart health is finally getting louder.
