Women who have experienced difficulties in pregnancy (eg diabetes, hypertension, premature labour) are more likely to be at risk of heart attack in later life.  

Heartfelt Plea This Mother’s Day: Mater Private Network Calls For Women to Take Charge of Their Cardiovascular Health  

 Mater Private Network’s Mother’s Day Campaign Champions Education and Proactive Cardiac Care for Women to Help Improve Patient Outcomes. 

• 1 in 4 women lose their lives to a cardiovascular-related illness each year.¹ This is over 4,000 annually.  
• Pregnancy-related ailments such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and preterm delivery can also increase a woman’s chances of developing a cardiovascular condition.  
• To help mitigate this and make women’s cardiac health a priority this Mother’s Day, Mater Private Network is encouraging women to think about their heart health, get to know the risks and warning signs, and seek advice early.  

Thursday, 7^th March, Dublin: This Mother’s Day, Mater Private Network issues a heartfelt call to the mothers of Ireland: Care for your heart, so you can keep caring for theirs! 

Cardiac illness amongst women is a global issue as heart disease continues to be one of the leading causes of death world-wide.² This is compounded by research from The ARIC Community Surveillance Study, showing that the incidence of heart attacks has been on the rise amongst younger women aged between 35-54.³  In Ireland, the landscape is much the same, with 1 in 4, that’s over 4,000 women in Ireland, losing their lives to a cardiovascular-related illness each year.⁴ However, through education and preventative action, this does not have to be the case.  

Explaining the risks associated with cardiovascular distress in women, Prof. Mark Dayer, Cardiologist at Mater Private Network said “Along with lifestyle, many women do not realise that some complications of pregnancy (such as high blood pressure or diabetes) can increase the risk of heart attacks in later life. As a result, this Mother’s Day, we are imploring women to get to know the risk factors and warning signs of cardiovascular disease so they can take preventative action and seek help when they need it.” 

The warning signs associated with cardiac events in women are often overlooked or taken as a common everyday grievance. However, in order to improve patient outcomes and increase survival rates, awareness of these symptoms, if they arise without any apparent cause (e.g. exertion, underlying condition, seasonal illness/ injury), is essential. Women often present with symptoms such as:  

• shortness of breath,  
• indigestion, nausea or vomiting, 
• pain in the jaw, shoulders or back,  
• fatigue. 

Due to how common these symptoms are, the warning signs of a cardiac event (or prodromal symptoms) can often go unchecked. This is further signified by research findings that women are more likely to delay reaching out for help and seeking medical advice when it comes to their hearts, than their male counterparts.⁵   

Speaking to this phenomenon, Prof. Dayer explains “With this campaign, Mater Private Network is asking women to make their heart health a priority. Because to care for their families’ hearts for years to come, they need to look after theirs.” 

As a leader in cardiovascular screening and care in Ireland, Mater Private Network is uniquely equipped to provide life-saving cardiac screenings to not only monitor and preserve your heart health but also provide best-in-class interventions for those who need it through their HeartCheck screening clinics, and Urgent Cardiac Care service which operates 365 days a year. However, for these aspirations to become a reality, Irish women need to get to know the red flags when it comes to their hearts.  

To learn more about the cardiology services available nationwide through the Mater Private Network, visit www.materprivate.ie/our-services.