Work is underway to improve heart health outcomes for Tasmanian women, with the Australian Government’s new Ministerial Expert Panel on Women’s Health.
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death for women in Tasmania, but it is often under-recognised, with women likely to experience different symptoms to men, including during emergencies.
This can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment, contributing to poorer health outcomes for women due to the lack of knowledge in the community about the symptoms a woman may experience.
The Women’s Health Expert Panel is working with professionals with a range of expertise and peak organisations that support women’s cardiovascular health to identify practical ways to improve outcomes for women, girls and gender diverse people.
The work of the Panel will aim to empower women to take time and seek the care they need for their heart and vascular health at all stages of life.
Data from the most recent National Health Survey shows around 20,000 women in Tasmania had one or more heart, stroke or vascular disease conditions in 2022.
Nationally, more than half a million women are living with conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels, but we know risk for these conditions is largely under-recognised in women.
In 2021 nearly 40,000 women had a heart attack, unstable angina or a stroke and 235,000 hospitalisations in 2021-22 were women with cardiovascular disease.
The Panel will be supported by stakeholder roundtables to engage across the sector including women from across the country that have experienced changes to their cardiovascular health, health professionals and health stakeholders.
Advice from experts with careers dedicated to women’s cardiovascular health will help make sure policy is informed by the latest clinical evidence, research and lived experience.
The Panel’s establishment continues the Australian Government’s commitment to women’s health and builds on the landmark Women’s Health Package, which is improving access to care for women across the country, including making more contraceptives, IVF medicines and endometriosis treatments more affordable through the PBS.
The government has also expanded the network of endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain clinics, and strengthened menopause support, taking action on areas of women’s health that have too often been overlooked or dismissed.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister White:
“Women often put the needs of others first — families, careers, communities — while their own health comes last. Heart disease is frequently misunderstood as a male health issue, yet it remains one of the leading health risks for women.
“The message I want Tasmanian women to hear is that we know your heart works for everyone else — it’s time to protect it for you.
“Cardiovascular disease in women is frequently under-recognised due to differences in symptom presentation compared to men.
“What is often labelled “atypical” is, in fact, typical for women. Failure to recognise these symptoms contributes to missed or delayed diagnoses.
“Priority work for the Expert Panel will be to identify ways we can improve heart health diagnosis, treatment and care for women across Australia.”
Quotes attributable to Jess Teesdale:
“For too long, women’s heart health has been under-recognised and underdiagnosed.
“We want women to feel empowered to take their symptoms seriously and seek care early, improving knowledge in the community about how cardiovascular disease presents in women will save lives.
“It’s vital that women with lived experience, as well as our incredible health professionals, have a seat at the table, their insights will help ensure policies are grounded in real experiences and deliver meaningful change.”