The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD has launched three UCD-led projects aimed at improving cardiovascular health in women.
The initiatives are a collaboration between UCD and the Heart Failure Unit at St. Michael’s Hospital in Dun Laoghaire in association with St Vincent’s University Hospital.
Launched during Women’s Health Week, the projects align with the commitments in the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025 to highlight heart health in women, and are supported by €570,000 in funding.
In Ireland, one in four women dies from heart disease or stroke, while heart failure impacts approximately 50,000 women every year.
The three UCD projects will be led by Dr Joe Gallagher and Professor Ken McDonald from the UCD School of Medicine, and Dr Mary Ryder from the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems.
They aim to address the disproportionately higher impact of heart failure and cardiovascular disease in women by providing data, developing guidelines and establishing services that will lead to improved prevention, treatment and management of heart conditions.
Dr Gallagher’s project will focus on women who experience pregnancy complications associated with high blood pressure, such as pre-eclampsia.
The project aims to develop a personalised postpartum cardiovascular risk assessment for these women, helping to ensure swift treatment to prevent heart disease later in life.
Professor McDonald will lead a project that seeks to ensure women at risk of heart failure are quickly identified and given appropriate onward referral and management.
It involves collaboration between 25 GP practices, with 500 female patients over the age of 40 undergoing a blood test to check for risk factors.
“Increasingly, we are realising that there are critical differences in the pathway to heart failure among women and how women present and are managed with this condition,” said Professor McDonald, who is Clinical Co-Lead of the HSE National Heart Programme and Consultant Cardiologist at St Vincent’s Healthcare Group.
“These areas require specific focus and attention.”
Dr Ryder’s project will examine how the social determinants of health impact on self-care behaviours of women at risk of and diagnosed with heart failure.
It aims to provide data to address the fact that women are more impacted by socio-economic factors – such as the emotional and financial strain of caregiving – and how this affects their ability to manage their symptoms.
“Historically, women’s experiences have been an afterthought in the development and improvement of health treatment and care, but the tide is turning,” said Minister Carroll MacNeill.
“The projects I’m launching are a wonderful example of how research can be used to achieve better outcomes for patients. They will provide valuable insights and data that will inform the design and delivery of better, targeted heart health services and interventions, to ensure women get the appropriate care when they need it.”
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie