Addressing Women’s Heart Health Head-On with HEARTe 15 

Scotland’s largest health charity Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has launched a new, free educational resource aimed at supporting women in Scotland to manage their heart health well.

In Scotland, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for women, killing nearly three times as many women compared to breast cancer. Figures show that there are over 90,000 women living with heart disease in the country. 

The free HEARTe15 resource has been developed by the charity in conjunction with health professionals and people living with heart conditions. HEARTe15 sits within the wider package of HEARTe resources developed by the charity.  It is easily accessible via the charity’s website. 

HEARTe 15 is the first online resource created by the charity that is designed for both health professionals and the general public.   

The resource provides educational information on heart disease symptoms and risks for women, sex- related differences in presentation and scenarios of heart disease management. 

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland funded the HEARTe15 resource in response to the call to action outlined in the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan*. The plan calls for inequalities in health outcomes of heart disease to be reduced through increased awareness, education, and access to quality healthcare to address sex-specific differences in relation to heart disease. 

48-year-old Pamela Lundberg from Whitburn in West Lothian is currently undergoing tests for cardiomyopathy.  Pamela was involved in reviewing the module before its launch. She said; “I have found this module to be a huge support for my family and I over the last number of months. It offered me great support, reassurance and a range of ideas to help me manage and understand my condition. I would heartily recommend it to anyone in a similar position.”   

Maggie Simpson is a cardiology advanced nurse practitioner who was involved in the module’s creation alongside the team at CHSS.  Maggie commented: “Raising awareness of women’s heart health in Scotland is crucial. Historically, heart disease has been perceived as a disease affecting men. However, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for women.  

“A lack of awareness of women’s heart risk leads to delays to diagnosis, inadequate access to treatments and poorer outcomes.

“We can also improve awareness and education of healthcare professionals about women’s heart risk and the importance of being proactive in ensuring early diagnosis and access to guideline directed management.” 

The launch of the module is just one of the ways Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is looking to tackle health inequalities faced by women in Scotland, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan. It also reflects the organisation’s commitment to reach 175,000 people by 2028 through its Community Healthcare Support Service model. 

Earlier this year, the charity launched a partnership with the Scottish FA to encourage more women in Scotland to take up recreational football to improve health outcomes. The charity also runs an online Peer Support Group for women living with chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid. 

Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland said: “Heart disease is the second biggest killer of women in Scotland, but there is still a huge lack of awareness about the impact of the condition on women’s lives across the country. 

“The Scottish Government has made it very clear that improving women’s health is a priority.  We have responded to the Scottish Government’s call to action to provide better resources for women with the launch of HEARTe15. 

“As part of our Community Healthcare and Support Service model, we are providing access to comprehensive health information and education for free. 

“We are very proud of the quality of our HEARTe15 resource, and we already know from feedback from women living with heart disease that the information provided is having an impact.” 

Scotland’s Women’s Health Champion Professor Anna Glasier OBE said: “I welcome the launch of CHSS new e-learning module ‘Hearte15: Women’s Heart Health’. It is interactive and actually quite fun to do.  

“The three illustrative scenarios are extremely helpful and the information provided is wide-ranging. I particularly like the fact that the introduction highlights both health inequalities which impact the risk of Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) and, importantly, the sex based differences in CVD. I am sure that many health professionals will find this extremely helpful.” 

To access this new resource click here.

Anyone living with the effects of chest, heart and stroke conditions or long covid looking for advice and information can contact Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0899, text NURSE to 66777 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk.