A major new Australian research project is aiming to change the way heart disease is detected in women by focusing on one of the most overlooked stages of life: menopause.
The Federal Government has awarded a $3 million grant through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to a national team led by the Heart Research Institute (HRI), with researchers hoping to develop both an early diagnostic test and a new non-hormonal treatment to reduce women’s risk of heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among Australian women, accounting for one in four female deaths each year. Yet despite its impact, the role menopause plays in increasing heart disease risk is still not well understood.
Leading the project is Professor Mary Kavurma from the Heart Research Institute, who believes menopause offers a crucial opportunity to identify women at risk before serious problems develop.
“We will investigate changes in blood vessel health during menopause that may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke,” Professor Kavurma said.
“This project will identify early signs of vascular injury during the menopausal transition, uncover the mechanisms driving vascular decline, and help enable earlier and more targeted interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease in midlife women.
“As the saying goes, you are as healthy as your arteries.”
With Australian women now living to an average age of around 85, many spend more than 40 per cent of their lives in the peri- and post-menopausal years. Researchers believe this period may be linked to a significant increase in cardiovascular vulnerability.
The study will examine changes in blood vessel function during menopause with the aim of identifying women at heightened risk long before symptoms appear. Researchers also hope to develop a simple diagnostic test that could become part of routine care, alongside a non-hormonal therapy to help protect heart health.
The potential benefits are substantial. Researchers estimate that preventing heart disease in just 20 per cent of at-risk Australian women could avoid more than 56,000 hospital admissions every year, while saving around $400 million in healthcare costs and a further $3.4 billion in lost productivity.
Associate Professor Sarah Aitken, a vascular surgeon at the University of Sydney and Concord Repatriation General Hospital, said the project is designed to give doctors better tools to identify cardiovascular risk much earlier.
The initiative will also place a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women through collaboration with HRI’s Djurali Centre, ensuring the research is conducted using culturally informed methods.
Professor Kavurma said emerging evidence suggests Indigenous women may experience menopause earlier and face an even greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” she said.
“We want to ensure this research is inclusive and addresses the specific needs of Indigenous women.”
The project brings together researchers and clinicians from the University of Sydney, Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, Sydney Local Health District, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, La Trobe University and Monash University.
HRI Scientific Director and CEO Professor Andrew Coats AO said the funding would help address a long-standing gap in women’s heart health research.
“This funding will help drive research that could significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes for women in Australia and around the world,” he said.
Images: Supplied
