Heart Foundation and Her Heart join forces to improve the heart health of women in Australia
Key points:
- Women in Australia are more likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated for heart disease, leading to significantly worse health outcomes compared to men.
- This is due to the distinct ways cardiovascular disease can present in women, often differing from traditional male-centric symptoms and diagnostic criteria.
- Greater awareness and action are essential to improving outcomes, which is why the Heart Foundation and Her Heart have partnered to improve women’s heart health.
Women in Australia have a strong advocate for women’s heart disease this International Women’s Day, with two of the most prominent voices in women’s heart health joining forces. The Heart Foundation and Her Heart today announce their first-ever partnership, uniting their efforts to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease in women and drive change more effectively. Heart disease in Australian women remains under-recognised, underdiagnosed, and underresearched, despite being a leading cause of death—claiming nearly one woman’s life every hour. Through this partnership, both organisations will enhance efforts to raise awareness of women’s heart disease, improve treatment and prevention strategies, and lead crucial research into gender-specific health initiatives. A National Report Card created by Her Heart and published in 2023 analysed all the research in the area of cardiovascular disease in women and found more than half (54 per cent) had never seen their doctor for a general hearth health check and 91 per cent believed there was not enough public awareness around women and heart disease.
Heart disease research and treatments often overlook the unique risks women face. The Heart Foundation is currently funding 109 projects led by women researchers, including 12 projects focused specifically on women’s heart health.
Heart Foundation funded researcher Sarah Zaman, an Associate Professor at The Westmead Applied Research Centre within the University of Sydney specialising in women’s heart health, said the partnership was good news for women.
“Heart disease in general has historically been thought of as a male disease and so when people picture the classical person having a heart attack, they might think of a middle-aged man having a heart attack.
“However, what we now know is that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women on a global scale and there’s female predominant causes of heart attacks. These types of heart attacks have been really under researched and under-recognised. “The Heart Foundation and Her Heart are the two organisations making the biggest impact in Australia in this space, so together they will accomplish even greater things.”
The new Heart Foundation and Her Heart partnership will:
- Raise awareness of women’s heart disease through targeted campaigns and accessible resources.
- Advocate for gender-specific research, funding, and healthcare policies.
- Support community-led initiatives that drive better prevention, diagnosis, and care.
Quotes attributable to Her Heart Founder and CEO Professor Linda Worrall-Carter:
“We are proud to partner with the Heart Foundation to drive real change for women’s heart health. By combining our expertise, we can amplify awareness, improve early detection, and ensure women receive the care they deserve.
“This partnership brings together two leading organisations dedicated to improving cardiovascular health. By working together, we can accelerate progress in research, prevention, and advocacy, ultimately saving more women’s lives.
“Women’s heart disease has been under-recognised for too long. Partnering with the Heart Foundation allows us to strengthen our impact, ensuring more women have access to the education, resources, and support they need to protect their heart health.”
Quotes attributable to Heart Foundation CEO David Lloyd:
“The Heart Foundation is committed to improving heart health outcomes for women. We continue to implement a range of actions to raise awareness, develop healthcare professional information and resources and invest in research to address current gaps in knowledge about heart disease in women.
“The Heart Foundation is thrilled to align with Her Heart in a new partnership that aims to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease in women in this country.
“This partnership strengthens our shared commitment to increase awareness of women’s heart health, fuel further research and advocate for equity. Importantly, our collaboration will mean that more community-led initiatives receive the support and resources needed to help prevent more women from developing heart disease and care, education and support for those who experience it.”
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Erin Marie, Senior Media Advisor, Heart Foundation
Phone: 0439 366 992
Email: media@heartfoundation.org.au
Radhika Arunkumar, General Manager, Her Heart
Email: radhikaarunkumar@herheart.org
About the Heart Foundation
The Heart Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fighting the single biggest killer of Australians – heart disease. For more than 60 years, it has led the battle to save lives and improve the heart health of all Australians. Its sights are set on a world where people don’t suffer or die prematurely because of heart disease. Find out your risk of heart attack or stroke by using our Heart Age Calculator. To find out about the Heart Foundation’s research program or to make a donation, visit their website.
About Her Heart
Her Heart is Australia’s Peak Body and leading authority on cardiovascular disease in women. As the only not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving women’s heart health, Her Heart provides evidence-based education, advocacy, and research to raise awareness and drive systemic change. We lose 1 woman every hour to heart disease and it is the leading cause of death among Australian women, Her Heart is committed to ensuring every woman has access to life-saving knowledge, quality healthcare, and the support needed to prioritise their heart health. Learn more on their website.
Download the media release here.