Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors

Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors

“After menopause, you may be more likely to develop
risk factors for heart disease, including:
high blood pressure, an increase in total cholesterol…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Cardiovascular Disease (CVD
  • Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
  • Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
  • Heart Conditions
  • Heart Disease Risk Factors
  • Heart Disease/s

Heart Disease

What is heart disease?

DotS the definition of heart disease may vary. The (United States) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition is:

“The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD affects the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack”.2

Risk Factors

What are heart disease risk factors?

DotS the definition of heart disease risk factors may vary. In Heart Health Living: Understand Your Risk for Heart Disease the (United States) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) definition is:

“Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease. These risk factors may be different for each person”.3

Heart Disease Risk Factors

What are heart disease risk factors?

In Coronary Heart Disease: Risk Factors the NHLBI elaborate on:

  • “Age…
  • Environmental and work conditions…
  • Family history and genetics…
  • Lifestyle habits…
  • Heart and blood vessel diseases
  • Other medical conditions…
  • Race or ethnicity…
  • Mental health and social factors…
  • Sex…”.4

Age

For women, when does age become a risk factor for heart disease?

In Keep Your Heart Healthy: The Basics: Overview – Am I At Risk for Heart Disease? the (United States) Healthfinder.gov note:

“Your age and family history also affect your risk for heart disease. Your risk is higher if:

  • You’re a woman over age 55
  • You’re a man over age 45
  • Your father or brother had heart disease before age 55
  • Your mother or sister had heart disease before age 65”.5

Family History

Is there an association between family history and heart disease?

Yes. In Family History the British Heart Foundation elaborate on:

“If you have a family history of heart or circulatory disease, you might have a higher risk of developing conditions that can lead to a heart attack or stroke”.6

Diabetes

Is there an association between diabetes and heart disease?

Yes. In Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke the (United States) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explain:

“Having diabetes means you are more likely to develop heart disease. People with diabetes are also more likely to have certain risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, that increase their chances of having a heart attack or a stroke”.7

Menopause

Heart Disease and Women’s Risk FactorsIs there an association between menopause and heart disease?

In What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health note:

“Before menopause, women have a lower risk of heart disease than men. But, as women age and their oestrogen levels fall, their risk of heart disease increases. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for women in Australia. Heart disease also claims 3 times as many lives as breast cancer”.8

After Menopause

Is there an association between after menopause and heart disease risk factors?

The JH explain:

“After menopause, you may be more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease, including:

  • High blood pressure
  • An increase in total cholesterol
  • An increase in LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol)
  • A decrease in HDL (‘good’ cholesterol)
  • An increase in blood fats, such as triglycerides”.9

Prevention

How may heart disease be prevented?

In Coronary Heart Disease: Causes and Prevention – How Can You Prevent Coronary Heart Disease? the NHLBI elaborate on:

“Coronary heart disease is largely preventable. Studies show that heart-healthy living — quitting smoking or never starting, eating healthy foods, and being physically active — throughout life can prevent or delay coronary heart disease and its complications in most people. A heart-healthy lifestyle is important for people of all ages, but it is especially important for anyone who has other risk factors for coronary heart disease”.10

Health Care Provider

What is it important for women to keep in mind about heart disease risk?

In Heart Disease: It’s Not Just for Men – You and Your Doctor: A Heart Healthy Partnership the NHLBI remind us:

“A crucial step in determining your risk is to see your doctor for a thorough checkup. Your doctor can be an important partner in helping you set and reach goals for heart health. But don’t wait for your doctor to mention heart disease or its risk factors. Many doctors don’t routinely bring up the subject with women patients”.11

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

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Links

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  61. Mayo Clinic Minute: Signs of Coronary Artery Disease, How To Reduce Your Risk [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
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  63. Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: Don’t Miss A Beat With Preventive Heart Care [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
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  93. You Can Prevent Heart Disease. Yes, YOU!
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  94. Yourethecure.org

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health After Menopause. Last Updated: 13 May 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 April 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 05 July 2025
  2. Heart Disease: About Heart Disease – What Is Heart Disease? 15 May 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/ Accessed: 05 July 2025
  3. Heart-Healthy Living: Understand Your Risk for Heart Disease. Last Updated: 24 March 2022. National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living/risks Accessed: 05 July 2025
  4. Coronary Heart Disease: Risk Factors. Last Updated: 27 December 2024. National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease/risk-factors Accessed: 05 July 2025
  5. Keep Your Heart Healthy: The Basics: Overview – Am I At Risk for Heart Disease? Content Last Updated: 16 December 2024. Healthfinder.gov https://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/health-conditions-and-diseases/heart-health/keep-your-heart-healthy Accessed: 05 July 2025
  6. Family History. Page Last Reviewed: December 2021. British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/risk-factors/family-history Accessed: 05 July 2025
  7. Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke. Last Reviewed: April 2021. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/heart-disease-stroke Accessed: 05 July 2025
  8. What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health After Menopause. Last Updated: 13 May 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 April 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 05 July 2025
  9. What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health After Menopause. Last Updated: 13 May 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 April 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 05 July 2025
  10. Coronary Heart Disease: Causes and Prevention – How Can You Prevent Coronary Heart Disease? Last Updated: 27 December 2024. National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease/causes Accessed: 05 July 2025
  11. Heart Disease: It’s Not Just for Men – You and Your Doctor: A Heart Healthy Partnership. National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/heart-disease-not-just-men Accessed: 05 July 2025
Topic Last Updated: 05 July 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 05 July 2025

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