Heart disease develops quietly over many years. Everyday risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stress all contribute to a slow build-up in the arteries — and it often goes unrecognised, particularly in women.
This build-up has a medical name: atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). It’s the condition behind around 85% of heart attacks and strokes, and understanding it is an important part of managing your cardiovascular risk.
For many people, the first sign that anything is wrong is a sudden event where a plaque in the artery tears and triggers a clot that blocks blood flow — leading to a heart attack or stroke. It’s a stark reminder of why awareness and prevention matter.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr Irene Gibson, Head of Clinical Innovation at the National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health, to talk about heart health, risk, prevention, and why women’s heart health needs more attention.
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This podcast is supported by Novartis.
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