The Federal Government has awarded Her Heart $500,000 in the 2022-23 budget to address rising rates of cardio-vascular disease among women. This is part of the national investment in health and safety for Australia’s women and girls and supports implementation of the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030.
Heart disease is the biggest killer of women in Australia. We lose one woman every hour and more women die from cardiovascular disease each year than from all the cancers combined.
“Heart disease in women is largely under-diagnosed and under-treated, with women twice as likely to die in the six months following a cardiac event compared to men,” says Dr Linda Worrall-Carter, Founder and CEO of Her Heart.
“Mortality rates are high for many reasons, with a key reason being the lack of awareness around women’s symptoms of heart disease, which can look different to men. Over the years we have seen that most of the marketing has been geared towards men and their symptoms. This is something that Her Heart strives to change.”
With an estimated 90% of Australian women living with at least one cardiovascular risk factor, and with many having two or three, raising awareness is vital.
With this funding Her Heart will be able to continue its work as the only female focused organisation promoting cardiovascular risk for women, by women. The funding will support the expansion of the Her Heart Hub, a comprehensive virtual platform, that already attracts over 7,500 women a month.
The primary aim of the Hub is to educate women to become aware of and manage their risk, to be aware of specific symptoms that relate to women and how to make lifestyle changes based on the evidence. We also have checklists and encourage women to make an appointment with their GP for a Heart Health Check, which can pick up early signs and risks of heart disease.