Women’s Heart Health Month: What you should know
February 2, 2026 – Defence Stories
Estimated read time – 2:00
Did you know that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for females in Canada? In fact, every twenty minutes one Canadian female has a heart attack. Even with these concerning numbers, female heart disease remains understudied, misunderstood, delayed in diagnosis, and inadequately treated. Getting informed about how heart disease affects females differently is key to early detection and prevention.
Gender imbalance in cardiovascular research: Closing the knowledge gap
Caption
A Canadian Forces (CF) member carries an orphan from a CF Griffon helicopter at the Port-au-Prince Airport in Haiti. The orphans were in the process of being adopted by Canadian families at the time of the earthquake in Haiti. The CF helped transport the orphans from Jacmel to Port-au-Prince using Griffon helicopter number CH-146450 as part of their long journey to Canada.
For many years, heart research has focused primarily on males, meaning that diagnosis and treatments were based on the way males usually experience heart attacks.
Many people know that a common sign of a heart attack is strong, crushing chest pain. This often happens in males when a large artery to the heart is blocked. However, females are more likely to have problems in the smaller blood vessels of the heart, or to have a tear in a heart artery.
These kinds of heart problems can cause different symptoms that make heart attacks harder to recognize and diagnose, such as:
- Chest discomfort or pressure
- Nausea
- Extreme tiredness
- Pain in the upper back or shoulders
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
Sometimes these symptoms are mistaken for stress, anxiety, or menopause, which delays care. It’s important that if you think you might be having a heart attack, call 911 or seek emergency care right away.
Risk factors for heart disease in females
Some female life stages, health conditions, and family factors can increase their heart disease risk:
- Having their first period before age 12 or after age 15;
- Having irregular periods or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS);
- Experiencing menopause before age 45;
- Having pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, or preterm birth;
- Having close relatives who have had heart disease or stroke.
Hormones, especially estrogen, help protect the heart by keeping blood vessels flexible and lowering inflammation. Some people use hormone therapy during menopause. Starting hormone therapy earlier may help protect the heart, while starting it later in life may increase risk. It is important to talk to a health care provider about what is right for you.
Prevention is key
The good news is that many heart disease risks can be reduced. Being physically active, eating a variety of healthy foods, managing stress, not using tobacco, limiting alcohol, and visiting a health care provider regularly will all help protect your heart.
For more information about women’s heart health, visit the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance’s Wear Red Canada page or talk to your health care provider.