What’s the leading cause of premature death in Canadian women?
Heart disease and stroke top the list1 —but employers and the insurance industry can play a significant role in prevention and helping women access care when they experience these conditions.
“As many as eight in 10 cases of premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented by adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a diet rich in whole foods, being physically active and not smoking,” says Christine Faubert, vice-president of health equity and mission impact at Heart & Stroke.
That said, women are at an elevated risk of heart disease and stroke at various points of their lives. During a woman’s reproductive years, hormonal contraceptives, fertility treatments and pregnancy-related disorders like high blood pressure or gestational diabetes can increase risk. Then as women transition through perimenopause to menopause, decreases in estrogen levels create biological changes in heart muscle that also increase risk.
Yet according to Heart & Stroke polling, 89 per cent of women are not aware of these unique risk factors for heart disease and stroke2, which stands in the way of prevention.
“The more women know about their risks, the better prepared they will be to have discussions with their health-care providers and seek the support and care they need from a prevention perspective. This knowledge also helps them be aware of any unmodifiable risks—or risk factors beyond their control— they might have, like age, family history, medical history and ethnicity,” Faubert says.
She adds that even risk factors shared with men, such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity and depression, tend to have a greater impact in women than men.
Diagnosis and treatment challenges
Women with cardiovascular conditions may not get a quick and accurate diagnosis because their symptoms can be different and less familiar to clinicians. Chest pain is common to men and women experiencing a heart attack, but women may also present with shortness of breath, pressure or pain in the upper back and upper abdomen, dizziness, light-headedness or extreme fatigue, Faubert explains.
Even when women are diagnosed appropriately and given an optimal treatment plan, they can experience additional challenges in their recovery journeys because barriers prevent them from accessing the care they need. For example, women in the sandwich generation may have caregiving responsibilities that make it more difficult to take advantage of rehabilitation services.
“Women are 60 per cent less likely to regain independence in their daily activities after a stroke compared to men. They also typically report worse quality of life,” says Faubert.
Workplace impact and solutions
When a woman suffers from a heart attack or a stroke, it not only affects her health and daily life, but might also impact her ability to work, says Neda Nasseri, product director at Desjardins Insurance. From a benefits perspective, it’s important to take all of this into consideration when developing return-to-work plans.
After all, an employee recovering from a heart attack or stroke may need accommodations for fatigue, reduced stamina or impaired cognitive functions, as well as time off work to attend ongoing medical appointments that give them an opportunity to get closer to full health again.
Employers can ensure they provide access to tools that can mitigate the impacts and adopt a caring approach, Nasseri says.
Resources like smoking-cessation initiatives and flu shots can help women manage cardiovascular risks. Personal wellness accounts reduce financial stress by enabling employees to pay for non-medical expenses, such as coaching and gym fees that contribute to overall health. Meanwhile, an Employee Assistance Program can prove useful in connecting employees with resources that help them manage stress or deal with a difficult situation.
All of these tools can be available in group benefits plans.
“The insurance industry can tailor their service offerings to better meet the needs of women and this can lead to improved health outcomes and greater satisfaction,” says Nasseri.
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1,2 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, “Women’s risk factors,” 2024. www.heartandstroke.ca/women/womens-risk-factors