Two TDs from Clare attended an Oireachtas Heart and Stroke Group meeting to back urgent calls for targeted action to advance research into women’s heart health.
Co-creators of the group, Clare TD Cathal Crowe and Clare constituent, Irish Heart Foundation Advocacy Campaign Manager and heart patient, Pauline O’Shea were both in attendance, alongside another Clare TD, Joe Cooney.
Attendees of the meeting heard that women’s heart health has been under-represented in national policy, clinical guidelines and medical education.
Often seen as a male health concern, women face a lifetime risk similar to men, but studies show that their symptoms are frequently overlooked, misinterpreted or dismissed.
Women with heart failure take an average of five weeks to receive a diagnosis compared with three weeks for men and they are twice as likely to be diagnosed only after attending the emergency department.
Women are more likely than men to experience atypical heart attack symptoms, including nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue, and pain in areas such as the jaw or back.
These symptoms are often misattributed by healthcare professionals to stress, anxiety, or indigestion, which can delay treatment and, in some cases, be life-threatening.
Although the Department of Health’s Women’s Health Action Plan commits to improving women’s health and addressing systemic inequities, the national charity for heart and stroke disease has said gaps remain.
It pointed to the need for investigation in sex-disaggregated data, research prioritisation and the integration of female-specific evidence into practice and policy.
Caring responsibilities, workforce disparities and wider social determinants further exacerbate women’s health risks and access to care, the group heard.
The Oireachtas Group has called for targeted action on prevention, early detection and management of risk factors, education and awareness, access to data, research and medical training.
It also called for more timely diagnosis and awareness of the invisible struggles women can have in securing the supports they need to live well post-diagnosis.
The deputies, at the meeting on November 19, agreed to advocate for the estimated 277,389 women currently living with cardiovascular disease (CVD) across Ireland, including the 6,925 women in their county.
Irish Heart Foundation Patient Champions Jessica Simpson, living in Dublin and Marie Carey, from Tipperary both spoke about their lived experience with CVD.
Also speaking at the meeting were Consultant Cardiologist Dr Neasa Starr, University Hospital Limerick and Irish Heart Foundation Director of Health Promotion, Janis Morrissey.
CVD is the leading cause of death among women worldwide and claims a quarter of all female lives in Ireland.
The Oireachtas Heart and Stroke group, set up by the Irish Heart Foundation in April 2025, aims to build consensus across the political spectrum to support heart and stroke patients and thereby deliver huge reductions in preventable death and disability.
“Cardiovascular disease claims one in four of all female lives, yet it remains under-researched, under-diagnosed, and under-treated,” said Janis Morrissey.
“We need targeted action to advance research into women’s heart health, improve prevention and diagnosis and ensure equitable access to the cardiovascular care they deserve.”
