The Surprising Link between Menopause & Your Heart! (She Was Considered Low Risk)

Could you be at risk of a heart attack without even knowing it - and are the risk factors different for women? In this special episode of Begin Again, created in partnership with British Heart Foundation, Davina McCall meets heart attack survivor Louise McGill and cardiologist and British Heart Foundation-funded researcher Dr Rouchelle Sriranjan-Rothwell to explore what every woman should know about heart health. Louise was just 45 when she had a heart attack, despite being considered low risk after a recent health check. She shares the symptoms she initially mistook for indigestion, the moment she kissed her young daughters goodbye, and how surviving changed her relationship with life itself. Davina also speaks to Dr Sriranjan-Rothwell who explains why cardiovascular disease in women is too often misunderstood, the connection between menopause and cardiovascular health, and why factors including cholesterol, blood pressure and pregnancy history could matter when understanding a woman’s risk. She also reveals how British Heart Foundation-funded research is working to detect silent heart disease earlier and build a better understanding of women’s cardiovascular health. This is an emotional and potentially lifesaving conversation about heart attack symptoms in women, menopause, cardiovascular disease, recovery, medical research and the importance of listening to your body. 🌟Like, comment and subscribe for more honest conversations about purpose, resilience, love, loss and beginning again. Follow us here: 📸www.instagram.com/beginagain 🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod ✨Sign up for the Begin Again newsletter for behind-the-scenes access, recommendations and much more: https://linkly.link/2g2xm To support lifesaving British Heart Foundation research, follow the links below: 📸https://www.instagram.com/the_bhf 🎥https://www.tiktok.com/@bhfcharity 🌐https://www.bhf.org.uk/ SHE-HEALS is a $10m global study funded in part by BHF through the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum. 00:00 Intro 01:09 Louise's Story 02:27 The Warning Signs Before Her Heart Attack 04:18 What A Heart Attack Really Feels Like 06:24 Having A Stent Fitted 10:31 Recovering Through Cardiac Rehab 11:19 Why Louise Is Grateful For Her Heart Attack 12:42 A Letter From Louise's Husband 18:03 Dr Sriranjan Rothwell And BHF's Research 18:21 Why Heart Disease Is So Dangerous for Women 20:45 The SHE-HEALS Women's Heart Health Study Sponsored by: British Heart Foundation funds lifesaving research into preventing, diagnosing and treating women's cardiovascular disease. More research means more breakthroughs. And those breakthroughs can mean more time. More time to live. More time to start over. More time to begin again. To help fund lifesaving research, visit http://bhf.org.uk/beginagain to donate now and keep us beating. If you are interested in being a part of SHE-HEALS you can sign up here: https://linkly.link/2wh41 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

• 0:02Speaker 00

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• 0:30Speaker 01

  I woke up with a pain in my chest and I did think, this is it. My time's up. Paramedics looked at me and went, Louise, I'm pretty sure you're having a heart attack.

• 0:39Speaker 02

  What went through your mind then? This is a really special episode because today we're talking about something that matters to every single one of us, our hearts.

• 0:48Speaker 01

  I had a health check about 10 weeks before and I wasn't deemed a high risk at all.

• 0:54Speaker 02

  You were very young.

• 0:55Speaker 01

  I'd never really thought about my own mortality or anything.

• 0:58Speaker 02

  Makes you look at life completely differently.

• 1:00Speaker 01

  Totally.

• 1:01Speaker 02

  I speak to Louise, whose incredible story reminds us how quickly life can change.

• 1:05Speaker 01

  My girls were just nine at the time. I kissed them goodbye.

• 1:08Speaker 02

  But you got to go home.

• 1:09Speaker 01

  Because of all the medical research that's been done, that allowed me to still be here and still be with my family.

• 1:16Speaker 02

  And we're also joined by an expert and British Heart Foundation funded researcher who's going to help us understand all of it a little bit better. Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of women worldwide. And this story only gets worse. Because every heartbeat is worth fighting for and looking after yours might just be the perfect place to begin again.

• 1:39Speaker 02

  So you may notice that the set looks a little bit different today because normally on Begin Again, often I'm talking to experts or kind of celebrities about their journeys. But actually, probably in the day, you pass many people in the streets or on the tube or at work who have had quite extraordinary stories that you'll never hear of. And today I wanted to get one of those stories from the lady that's sitting next to me, Louise. And we are going to be talking about cardiovascular disease. British Heart Foundation have got 65 of these benches dotted around the nation.

• 2:21Speaker 02

  And these red benches are very special because they're called in living memory benches and they're commemorating people being alive, thanks to the research that British Heart Foundation have done. This is why we're sat on this bench today, so that if you see one, you'll know what it is. But I just want to say thanks so much for coming on today, Louise.

• 2:45Speaker 01

  No problem.

• 2:46Speaker 02

  I just also wanted to let you know that I also have cardiovascular disease and this is a very important conversation to have. And thank you for taking time out to talk to us today. In terms of people having heart attacks, I think you were very young, really. When we think about heart attacks, I'm always thinking 60 plus. But what age were you?

• 3:08Speaker 01

  I was 45 when I had my heart attack.

• 3:10Speaker 02

  Did it have any kind of precursor, any warning in your health? Had you been told by any doctors or any health checks? Ooh, hang on a minute.

• 3:18Speaker 01

  I had had a health check about 10 weeks before I actually had my heart attack.

• 3:23Speaker 02

  Oh, wow.

• 3:24Speaker 01

  Yeah. So that was just, I think it was just like a random call up from your local doctors. So I went along, had the various tests and checkups done. When the results came back, they did say that my cholesterol was slightly high. But when they looked at all the other factors around me, I wasn't deemed a high risk at all and there was no further action to be taken.

• 3:47Speaker 02

  I think that's really interesting because that's exactly what happened to me.

• 3:50Speaker 01

  Right.

• 3:51Speaker 02

  I had high cholesterol and I'd had it for quite a long time. And it was deemed because I had high good cholesterol that offset the bad or something. But actually, is it true that high cholesterol is quite a good warning sign actually that we should look out for?

• 4:07Speaker 01

  Yeah, I believe it can be a good indicator, definitely.

• 4:10Speaker 02

  So quite weird that you'd had a checkup 10 weeks before.

• 4:15Speaker 01

  Yeah. So I mean, from, from that, I just, I was fine.

• 4:19Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 4:19Speaker 01

  Good to go.

• 4:20Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 4:20Speaker 01

  Um, you know, I didn't have any concerns. I was due to do a 5K run, which, which I did do and managed that.

• 4:30Speaker 02

  Fine. So you were running at that point, like you were trying to get fit for a 5K run?

• 4:35Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 4:35Speaker 02

  I mean, it's so mad, isn't it?

• 4:39Speaker 01

  Yeah, I had no warning signs.

• 4:41Speaker 02

  How long before your heart attack did you do a 5K run?

• 4:44Speaker 01

  Approximately about four weeks.

• 4:46Speaker 02

  Wow.

• 4:46Speaker 01

  Four weeks before.

• 4:47Speaker 02

  So mad. So what were the first signals that something wasn't right?

• 4:53Speaker 01

  It was, I'd been out with the family for the day on the Sunday, seeing all my family that day. Had a lovely time. Came home, went to bed. And then it was just after midnight, I woke up with a pain in my chest and I thought it was indigestion. So I went downstairs, I got a drink.

• 5:11Speaker 02

  And describe the pain in your chest.

• 5:14Speaker 01

  It was a tightening and a heaviness. When they do see like an elephant sitting on your chest, it's sort of, but it started off gradual, but then quite quickly it did escalate to severe pain. And I was feeling nauseous.

• 5:30Speaker 02

  Right.

• 5:30Speaker 01

  I was sweating a lot.

• 5:32Speaker 02

  And when you say quite quickly, from the first kind of wake up of thinking, oh, I've got indigestion, how quickly did the nausea come on?

• 5:40Speaker 01

  Within about 10 minutes.

• 5:41Speaker 02

  Oh, okay. Wow. Really quick.

• 5:43Speaker 01

  Really quick. So I went and managed to go back upstairs and see Brian. He came downstairs because I was just pacing the floor. I was lying on the floor. I was getting up. I was frightened to close my eyes.

• 5:56Speaker 02

  Wow.

• 5:56Speaker 01

  Because I just thought, there's something seriously wrong, but I didn't know what. So Brian rang 999.

• 6:04Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 6:05Speaker 01

  Paramedics came within about 20 minutes. That was pretty, pretty good.

• 6:09Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 6:09Speaker 01

  And they looked at me and went, Louise, I'm pretty sure you're having a heart attack. I'm going to take you through to the Freeman in Newcastle. And that was where Brian and I just looked at each other. And I did think, this is it. My time's up.

• 6:27Speaker 02

  Did you?

• 6:27Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 6:28Speaker 02

  What went through your mind then?

• 6:30Speaker 01

  Well, my girls. My girls were just nine at the time. And I don't know how I did it, but I managed to get back upstairs and kiss them goodbye because...

• 6:41Speaker 02

  You weren't sure if you were going to come back?

• 6:43Speaker 01

  Yeah. And then it was just very, very quick. I was blue lighted through to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and Brian was following in the car behind.

• 6:54Speaker 02

  And what happened when you got there?

• 6:57Speaker 01

  They took me through to the cath lab and...

• 7:01Speaker 02

  What's that?

• 7:02Speaker 01

  So that's where they were going to put the stent in.

• 7:05Speaker 02

  Oh, what? So they knew that that was a, it was a heart attack by that point?

• 7:09Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 7:09Speaker 02

  Because the paramedics had been...

• 7:11Speaker 01

  Paramedics had been monitoring me all the way.

• 7:12Speaker 02

  Right.

• 7:12Speaker 01

  Along. I think they gave me some aspirin in the ambulance. And when we went through the doors at the Freeman, they gave me a load of medication to take. And then I was straight in the cath lab where you're awake when they do the surgery.

• 7:26Speaker 02

  Are you?

• 7:27Speaker 01

  Yeah. Which I couldn't believe.

• 7:30Speaker 02

  What? I don't understand.

• 7:31Speaker 01

  So I remember lying on sort of lighted beds and there's loads of machinery around. My teeth couldn't stop chattering. That must have been the shock, I think.

• 7:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, yes, of course. Yeah.

• 7:44Speaker 01

  I don't know what was running through my head at that point in time. And then they went in through my wrist to insert a stent, so just a small cut in your wrist, and put the stent in. So my main artery was 95 to 98% blocked. So time, time was crucial. The timing was really important. And they inflated the stent. And I do remember the surgeon saying to me, Louise, you're going to feel better soon. And the pain just gradually started to subside.

• 8:19Speaker 02

  Wow.

• 8:20Speaker 01

  Um, so I take it that's once the stent was inflated. I did have some other blockages, but not what they would class as severe to stent.

• 8:29Speaker 02

  So they just left the other blockages?

• 8:31Speaker 01

  Yes, not until by medication.

• 8:34Speaker 02

  They, but the minute they blew that stent up, you felt the relief?

• 8:39Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 8:39Speaker 02

  Wow. That is incredible. And I, I have heard that if somebody has one heart attack, there is quite a strong danger of a second heart attack.

• 8:51Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 8:51Speaker 02

  Following the first. So that would have prevented that happening, I guess, right? And all the meds that they gave you was to stop that happening again?

• 8:59Speaker 01

  Instantly, I was told you'll be on medication for the rest of your life. And again, it's because of all the medical research that's been done, it's something like that that allowed me to still be here and still be with my family.

• 9:17Speaker 02

  And what changed when you got home? Because you, you left your house and you kissed your daughters potentially goodbye. But you got to go home.

• 9:28Speaker 01

  Yes. I was still quite nervous for a while after, thinking it's going to happen again.

• 9:33Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 9:34Speaker 01

  I'd been quite a confident person leading up to this and I just felt terrified all the time.

• 9:41Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 9:42Speaker 01

  I would go to sleep sitting up because in my head, if I lie down, I might not wake up again. It's a bit weird, I suppose, but these were the things that I just had to cope with and manage with. And, you know, I had brilliant support from friends and family.

• 9:59Speaker 02

  Did you?

• 10:00Speaker 01

  Yeah. I mean, they really did. My husband, Brian, like, looked after me really well. You're seeing sickness and in health. And yeah, that def, that definitely came true. And I could think I cried solidly for about three months.

• 10:14Speaker 02

  What were you crying about?

• 10:17Speaker 01

  We're scared.

• 10:18Speaker 02

  Hmm. You feel vulnerable, don't you? I think.

• 10:21Speaker 01

  Very vulnerable.

• 10:22Speaker 02

  When something like that has happened to you, anybody I think that gets sick. Um, and I know I, when I, when I had my cancer experience, you just suddenly feel vulnerable in a way that you weren't before. Once you've been ill once, you think, oh, I thought I was invincible.

• 10:39Speaker 01

  Yes, I'd never really thought about my own mortality or anything. So it definitely sort of highlights things to you. Uh, I wouldn't even walk to the end of the street on my own. Uh, I needed somebody with me all the time.

• 10:51Speaker 02

  Happened again.

• 10:52Speaker 01

  Yeah, it was just, I would walk very cautiously as though if I walk a bit too fast, that's gonna do me harm. But once I managed to get on to doing cardio rehab at Durham Hospital, that was a help.

• 11:09Speaker 02

  What was that?

• 11:10Speaker 01

  So that would be once or twice a week you'd go along and this full nursing team then they monitor you and you can push yourself in a safe environment.

• 11:19Speaker 02

  I get that, yeah.

• 11:20Speaker 01

  And that helped build up your confidence.

• 11:23Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 11:23Speaker 01

  Um, I was the only female on the course at that time as well. Um, but the guys that were there were great. Um, and it just, yeah, allowed you to do some exercise in a controlled environment and, you know, I remember them telling me your heart's muscle, so you have to work it.

• 11:41Speaker 02

  Exercise it.

• 11:42Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 11:42Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 11:42Speaker 01

  So, but I'd never have thought of anything like that before. But it does, it does make sense now, definitely.

• 11:49Speaker 02

  I was really surprised, Louise, because, you know, I can hear there you've kind of built up your confidence again and over the years, I mean, how long ago was this that you had your heart?

• 11:58Speaker 01

  Nine year ago.

• 11:58Speaker 02

  Nine years.

• 11:59Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 12:00Speaker 02

  That, that at some point you were almost grateful for it. You've got enough distance from it. What do you mean by that? What, what are you grateful for?

• 12:09Speaker 01

  You have to take a look at your life and decide what actually is really important. And I'm probably a bit less tolerant of certain situations or maybe people now. Um, I don't let things bother me as much. Um, stress, I manage stress better now. Um, my job, I love my job, but at times, yes, it can get stressful. But I do manage it a lot better. Um, you know, I just go in, I know what I'm doing, doing my job and that's it, there's nothing more I can do about it.

• 12:45Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 12:46Speaker 01

  And spending quality time with quality people is what matters to me.

• 12:51Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 12:52Speaker 01

  I just like having time with, you know, the girls still wanna spend time with me and their dad.

• 12:57Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 12:58Speaker 01

  We're like going out for meals, we're like going on trips away. I'm still grateful that I'm, I'm here.

• 13:04Speaker 02

  Has it supersized your gratitude?

• 13:07Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 13:07Speaker 02

  For everything?

• 13:08Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 13:09Speaker 02

  Yeah, it makes you look at life completely differently.

• 13:11Speaker 01

  Totally.

• 13:12Speaker 02

  Um, Louise, I've got a little surprise for you. Um, we've got a letter here. Would you like me to read it to you or would you like to read it?

• 13:19Speaker 01

  If you can, please.

• 13:20Speaker 02

  Yeah, you sure?

• 13:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 13:22Speaker 02

  It's from Brian.

• 13:25Speaker 01

  Right.

• 13:26Speaker 02

  Dear Louise,

• 13:28Speaker 02

  I want to take this opportunity to let you know just what you mean to me as well as Charlotte and Kate.

• 13:35Speaker 02

  Every time I think of what could have been on that day, I get the same dull ache in my chest of how me and the children could possibly have coped without you over these years. Even though you play it down and sometimes have imposter syndrome shortly after your heart attack, as well as your recovery, you still concentrated on being a man and organising our day to day. You are a legend. He didn't say that, I did. Well done, Louise.

• 14:04Speaker 02

  You bring so much to our family and household, even though Kate might tell you otherwise. We all know that our lives would be a great deal worse without you. You organise us and keep us on track, even when we don't want to be kept on track or organised. You do things that none of us would think of doing as well as the other everyday things. I admire the way you've handled your heart attack recovery, your positivity to come through and be there for us. My favourite part is when you're happy and smiling.

• 14:39Speaker 02

  As before your heart attack, you were very focused on work. And now to see you smile and enjoy life in the way that you do really warms my heart. That's really nice. It's like he's seen a difference in you.

• 14:55Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 14:55Speaker 02

  And the way that heart attacks helped you be freer.

• 14:59Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's positive, positives come out of it.

• 15:03Speaker 02

  I admire how you plan and bend over backwards when it has anything to do with the kids, with how lucky kids they are. I admire what you do for other people. Nothing specific, just if anyone needs you, you will go out of your way to help if you can. Do you think that's because of what you've been through and how much it meant when the people helped you after? Or have you always been a bit like that?

• 15:32Speaker 01

  I think I've always tried to help people if, if, if I can be of help to them. Um, I know with like, especially my female friends now, I'm more aware of telling them to take time out for themselves.

• 15:47Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 15:48Speaker 01

  That it's not a selfish thing to do, you know, you could look after other people, but you can also look after yourself. Sorry, I'm a bit choked.

• 15:56Speaker 02

  Well, I'm not surprised. He says here, I can't thank British Heart Foundation enough for the research that meant that you didn't leave us on that night and the fact that we can look forward to our future and our retirement together. I love you loads.

• 16:12Speaker 01

  Wow.

• 16:14Speaker 02

  That's yours to keep.

• 16:16Speaker 01

  Wow, he kept that quiet.

• 16:18Speaker 02

  Nice.

• 16:19Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's lovely. That is really nice.

• 16:22Speaker 02

  Sorry. Please don't apologise.

• 16:25Speaker 01

  Yeah, that is lovely.

• 16:28Speaker 02

  You know, you coming here today, I know it's been hard and everything, but I, it will make a difference because there will be a lot of people out there. You know, heart attacks and cardiovascular disease is rife, especially in women post-menopause. And we don't know that.

• 16:47Speaker 01

  Well, as I say, looking back, you know, I was forty five. I do believe that I was probably at the start of perimenopause.

• 16:55Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 16:56Speaker 01

  And I now have the knowledge that the clinicians speak about how your body changes and everything. So, you know, I try to just highlight to my friends, you know, if you do go to the doctors and they say maybe your cholesterol is a bit high, to maybe challenge it.

• 17:17Speaker 02

  Yeah, get it checked further.

• 17:18Speaker 01

  Because I think back in the day when I was getting checked, a lot of it was focused on the statistics around men. And it's obvious we are built differently to men. Um, our biology is totally different and it's good now that it looks like this change is coming where women are prioritised in their own right

• 17:41Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 17:42Speaker 01

  and have different symptoms or different factors that may lead to some form of heart disease.

• 17:49Speaker 02

  But thank you, you know, on behalf of all the women and men watching very much for telling us your story. And we're so glad you're still here as well.

• 17:59Speaker 01

  Oh, so am I.

• 18:01Speaker 02

  Thanks, Louise. Big ups, Louise, everybody.

• 18:04Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 18:06Speaker 02

  Gosh, you so much, you were absolutely brilliant. Louise's story was such a powerful reminder of how easily these warning signs can be missed in women. And I want to make sure that every single one of us has the facts that we need to protect our own hearts and understand what's actually happening inside our bodies. So next up, I am talking to Dr Rochelle, a cardiologist and British Heart Foundation funded researcher. Dr Rochelle, you are a cardiologist and an expert in cardiovascular disease. And in particular, we're sitting here today to discuss cardiovascular disease in women and research and everything that British Heart Foundation are doing and your particular bit of research that you're doing at the moment.

• 18:51Speaker 02

  But let's just kick off with a stat that I was amazed by and that is how cardiovascular disease uh is actually a big problem for women, much bigger than any of us realise, I think.

• 19:05Speaker 03

  I think historically cardiovascular disease and heart attacks have been thought of as a man's disease.

• 19:10Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 19:10Speaker 03

  But we have to change that narrative. Cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease is the biggest killer of women worldwide.

• 19:19Speaker 02

  I mean, that in itself, I just don't think enough women know that. I think we think of cancer or breast cancer in particular, like.

• 19:26Speaker 03

  Yeah, absolutely. And then the other thing is, B H F has published this data as well. In the UK, heart disease kills twice as many women than breast cancer, for example, just, you know, uh, in terms of the scale of the problem. And this story only gets worse. So women are fifty percent more likely to get the wrong diagnosis when they come in with heart problems and chest pain. And the last thing to say is that if you come in with a heart attack, you're more likely to die than a man. This is a problem for women. This is something that we have to take seriously. Now, treatment and how we approach that is also challenging because we are using at

• 20:09Speaker 03

  the moment risk scores that don't take into account female specific risk factors such as pregnancy and things that happen in pregnancy, as well as, you know, the age of menopause and what happens in menopause.

• 20:25Speaker 02

  What do you mean by that? So that these are risk factors for cardiovascular?

• 20:29Speaker 03

  Yes, so things that happen in pregnancy. So if you had blood pressure problems during your pregnancy, if you had diabetes during their pregnancy, these are warning signs that your future risk of getting heart problems is higher.

• 20:45Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 20:46Speaker 03

  We know this and several studies have shown this. But it is not incorporated into risk scores, right? And then the same with menopause. I often say menopause is like a hormonal earthquake when you look at what's going on with the hormones, right? And none of this is captured in the current risk scores that we use as medics to prescribe people medication at the moment.

• 21:15Speaker 02

  You are doing some very important research now. Can you tell me a little bit about what it is that you're doing and that British Heart Foundation are funding?

• 21:25Speaker 03

  So we're very fortunate to be awarded a grant from a funding consortium called GCRFF. So we were funded in the UK through the HF. But this is a huge study that looks at women who are going through menopause and what's happening to their hearts and their blood vessels. And for this, these big problems need collaborations. So we are collaborating with giants in the fields of menopause, in the fields of heart disease, and in the field of, you know, hormones and endocrine problems across the world. So seven countries.

• 22:01Speaker 02

  Wow.

• 22:02Speaker 03

  And we're so grateful to people who donate to the BHF because without them we couldn't do this. And what we are going to do is we're going to bring a pool together also data sets from around the world where we've documented what happens to cholesterol levels, blood pressure in women that go through menopause, bring them together to try and develop a risk score that takes all of this into account. We're also trying to do a study where we scan women who are early in, you know, their menopause journey.

• 22:34Speaker 02

  Yes, early onset.

• 22:35Speaker 03

  Yes, so we're going to detect silent heart disease essentially. And we're going to, you know, give them lifetime advice as well as start treatment early and see what happens to these women. And when we were designing She Heals, they actually said we can only come for these scans if we do it out of our, so we have incorporated that in. And so it is a very ambitious project, but I think it is needed. And, you know, we are very excited to get started.

• 23:05Speaker 02

  If there's one takeaway today, it's not to brush things off, get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and if something feels wrong, listen to your body. By supporting research, we can also help build a better understanding of women's heart health and improve future care. To help fund life-saving research, visit bhf.org.uk/beginagain or tap the link in our show notes to donate right now and keep us beating.