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Women are less likely to receive statins and lifestyle advice to prevent heart disease, compared to their male counterparts, according to new research. Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation said, ‘Women with heart disease are underdiagnosed, undertreated and unaware that this condition can kill them… ‘Coronary heart disease is largely preventable and so it’s unacceptable over 30,000 women die as a result of coronary heart disease each year in the UK… For now, if you’re a woman you need to try and look after your heart. That means keeping an eye on your weight, stopping smoking, plenty of physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet.’

To tackle the lack of awareness about heart disease among women, the British Heart Foundation has an online Women’s Room full of practical information to help women adjust to life with a heart condition. The research was published in Global Heart, a journal of the World Heart Federation.