New Campaign Shines Light on Women's Heart Health

It’s often said that knowledge is power but when it comes to women’s heart health a new study by the Irish Heart Foundation shows that many women are still in the dark.

The research was carried out for the Foundation’s Her Heart Matters campaign and reveals a serious lack of awareness. Only half of women say they know the symptoms of heart disease and stroke while far more recognise the signs of breast cancer. Backed by the HSE and the Department of Health’s Women’s Health Fund the campaign is calling on women to take simple steps to protect their heart and to start a conversation that could save lives. Janice Morrissey Director of Health Promotion Information and Training at the Irish Heart Foundation explains why the campaign was launched. “Her Heart Matters came about because research shows that women’s risk of heart disease and stroke is under-researched under-diagnosed and under-treated. One in four women in Ireland will die from heart disease or stroke which is the same as men. Yet awareness of women’s risk is still low.” Janice points out that heart health is often overlooked in women’s health conversations which tend to focus more on other areas like breast cancer. Yet women are six times more likely to die from heart disease and stroke than from breast cancer. One reason for the lack of awareness is the persistent belief that heart disease is a man’s issue. “If you ask someone to picture a heart attack they often imagine a middle-aged man clutching his chest. But this image is misleading. Heart disease is very much a women’s issue too” says Janice. Research by the Foundation found several key barriers that stop women from prioritising their heart health. These include: Cost – Health checks gym memberships and even healthy food can be expensive Stress – High levels of stress and anxiety are major obstacles Time – Many women are juggling work caring and other responsibilities which makes it hard to focus on their own health Listen back to the conversation here: [audio mp3="https://www.southeastradio.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Siobhan-Package-Her-Heart-Matters.mp3"][/audio]