Julie du Page has lived with a type of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) since she was a teenager, but her condition worsened after her second pregnancy. The frequency of her seizures increased and she found herself experiencing extreme fatigue.

“I would lie awake at night, listening to my irregular heartbeat echoing on my mattress. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t exercise without feeling tired and short of breath,” said Quebecer. says Julie, a based actress, presenter and blogger.

She knew her symptoms weren’t just caused by her busy life as a young mother of two, but she struggled to get medical professionals to take her concerns seriously .

“Every time I raised concerns with my health care provider, they were dismissed as unimportant,” she says. “I detailed my symptoms and asked questions, but to no avail. I felt like I was wasting their time.

“I felt very alone in my anxiety-driven spiral. My quality of life as a young mother was greatly affected.”

Julie’s life changed for the better when she received specialized corrective surgery. She said, “When I first saw my heart beating regularly on her monitor, I cried tears of joy.”

Julie’s story is all too common. Although women face unique risk factors for heart disease and stroke at different stages of life, awareness of these different risks remains relatively low among health care providers and women themselves.

Two-thirds of clinical research in heart disease and stroke has traditionally focused on men. Recent research shows that only 11 per cent of Canadian women can name at least one unique risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of premature death in women. It turns out that it is.

Heart & Stroke is working to change that reality through a multi-year awareness and education campaign to educate Canadian women about the risks of heart disease and stroke at their unique life stages.

Lifelong risks: Women’s heart and brain health across life stages

Risk factors change throughout a woman’s life, and some risk factors may affect women differently or disproportionately than men.

“While there are risk factors for heart disease and stroke that affect everyone, we know that some risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and lack of exercise, can have a stronger impact on women. ,” says Dr. Kara Nerenberg, Heart & Stroke Women’s Specialist. Heart and Brain Health Research Chair. “Women also face a range of risk factors that can begin or intensify at different points in life, such as during pregnancy and after menopause.”

The campaign takes a life stage approach, focusing on three key periods in a woman’s life. Menopause or midlife, when estrogen levels fluctuate. and postmenopause, when the protective factors associated with estrogen disappear.

“Recognizing the lack of awareness and wanting to meet women where they are, we created a digital hub organized by life stage,” says Heart & Stroke Health Equity and Mission Impact said Christine Faubert, vice president.

“Women will be empowered to be aware of their risks, encouraged to assess their own unique risks, and supported to take action by talking to others, including their health care providers. ”

The Women’s Digital Hub includes practical information about modifiable lifestyle-related risk factors, such as unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Non-modifiable risk factors such as age and family history. Medical risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes. We also provide tips and resources, including self-assessment tools.

The Women’s Risk Factors Campaign is an important part of Heart & Stroke’s ongoing efforts to improve women’s heart and brain health through awareness and education, as well as research and healthcare system transformation.

Proud ambassador for women’s heart and brain health

After her successful surgery, Julie du Page welcomed the opportunity to become a Heart & Stroke ambassador. She wanted to share her story to help other women learn about the risks to heart and brain health and take steps to protect their health.

Through her involvement with Heart & Stroke, she learned more about the gaps in awareness, research, diagnosis, and care for women and is proud to use her platform to drive change.

“While progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to ensure all women have access to the care they need,” says Julie. “All causes are noble, but this one is especially close to my heart.”

Learn more about women’s unique risks to heart and brain health in our Women’s Digital Hub.

¹National bilingual online/digital poll conducted by Environics Research Group for Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada from December 3 to 31, 2021

Advertising feature production Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe editorial department was not involved.