Louise's story

Louise, 54, Durham

Louise was 45 when she unexpectedly had a heart attack. Once in hospital, she was fitted with a stent, which may have saved her life.

Louise didn’t think of herself as someone who might have a heart attack, and the experience came as a huge shock. Her physical recovery was challenging, and it took a while for her to come to terms with what had happened.

Today, Louise is doing well. She takes medication for high cholesterol and high blood pressure and has an annual health check with her GP. Louise loves spending time with her family and friends, and keeps active.

Louise still thinks about the research that helped keep her alive, from the stent and scans to the specialists who supported her treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. With the help of scientific research, she is still here, enjoying the people and moments that matter most.

Researching women's cardiovascular health

Perimenopause and menopause affect women’s cardiovascular health, and we want to understand more about what happens and how women can be protected. British Heart Foundation is one of the funders supporting SHE-HEALS, a major international study investigating how menopause shapes heart health.

"I didn't think I was a stereotypical person who would have a heart attack, but I’ve survived it.”

Louise

Led by BHF Professor Ziad Mallat at the University of Cambridge and Professor Martha Hickey at the University of Melbourne, the researchers will study changes in the arteries that begin during perimenopause and can increase the risk of heart disease.

The team will launch the largest clinical trial of its kind to detect hidden hardening of the arteries in women during perimenopause and the early years after menopause. By spotting these changes before symptoms appear, researchers will test whether earlier prevention could stop or even reverse their progression.

The team hopes the evidence will help shape global guidelines, paving the way for earlier and more effective prevention to protect the hearts of millions of women for longer.

But our work is not done.