‘Would have dropped dead’: women’s heart health lacking

By Emily Woods in Melbourne

A friend’s suggestion to get a further heart test saved Sharron Yaxley’s life.

With a family history of cardiovascular disease, the Tasmanian woman was examined by a cardiologist every two years.

The avid cyclist, 60, had passed all her usual tests and was about to embark on a 3000km ride in Europe when her friend advised her to get one more investigation done.

“He told me to get a CT scan of the calcium score,” Ms Yaxley told AAP, referring to a check for deposits of plaque on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

“So I went back to the cardiologist, he was going to dismiss me for two years, and asked him for this extra test. He said, ‘No you’re too fit, it won’t show anything’.

“I didn’t like the way he said it to me, he kind of rankled me.”

She pushed for the test, despite the cardiologist telling her it would cost $800 out of pocket.

When she returned from cycling in Europe, Ms Yaxley undertook the extra test.

She was about to cycle about 100km to Launceston when she received a call from the cardiologist’s practice.

“He came out of the cath lab and said, ‘Tell her to get off the bike and go and sit on the couch and rest’,” Ms Yaxley said.

“I knew I had a problem and I burst into tears.”

She was told her calcium score was catastrophically high.

“He told me I was a very lucky girl and that I was lucky to be alive,” she said.

“And in all likelihood, I would have just dropped dead.”

She was quickly booked in for open-heart surgery and now manages her cardiovascular disease.

“If you have a family history of cardiac disease, push to get more than the usual tests, because I passed all of those,” Ms Yaxley said.

“I didn’t drink, I didn’t smoke, I ate well … the signs weren’t there, other than my genetics.”

A woman in Australia dies from coronary heart disease almost every hour, according to the Heart Foundation.

But women often report that their symptoms were ignored or misinterpreted when presenting to hospital with a heart attack.

While chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack affecting women and men, women are more likely to experience fatigue, nausea, jaw or back pain and breathlessness.

To coincide with Women’s Health Week, organisations including the Heart Foundation, the National Rural Health Alliance, and Her Heart will meet with federal MPs on Tuesday to discuss gaps in care and diagnosis.

“In Australia, we are seeing women falling through the cracks of care when it comes to cardiovascular health,” Heart Foundation clinical strategy head Natalie Raffoul said.

“As a leading cause of illness and death of women in Australia, it is vital that greater focus is placed on picking up the unique risks and symptoms of cardiovascular disease to ensure women receive the care they need.”

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.