Maintaining a Healthy Heart: the benefits of exercise for women

Maintaining a Healthy Heart: the Benefits of Exercise for Women

Although cardiovascular disease develops 7 to 10 years later in women than in men, it is still the major cause of death in women. Exercise and physical activity are a highly effective means of decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and dementia.

These talks, presented by the School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science) and the Institute of Advanced Studies at UWA, will address questions related to the most appropriate types of exercise to impact on cardiovascular health and symptoms in women across the lifespan.

Cardiovascular Disease in Women: the Benefits of Exercise

Professor Maria T.E. Hopman

The risk of heart disease in women is often underestimated due to the misperception that females are ‘protected’ against cardiovascular disease. The under-recognition of heart disease and differences in clinical presentation in women lead to less aggressive treatment strategies and a lower representation of women in clinical trials. Understanding the role of risk factors and the pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease in women will contribute to better prevention of cardiovascular events.

Professor Maria Hopman is Professor of Physiology at Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen (the Netherlands). She is a medical doctor interested in cardiovascular regulation and adaptation to exercise training and inactivity/deconditioning in humans. Her research is focused on exploring the relationship between inactivity and chronic disease. She is passionate about prevention of cardiovascular disease and has a high public profile in the Netherlands due to her research profile and advocacy.

Exercise for the Management of the Menopause

Professor Helen Jones

 The menopause is a significant life event that is characterised by a reduction in the hormone oestrogen. The impact of this oestrogen reduction on health and everyday life is huge. The menopausal transition, which lasts 1-5 yrs, is associated with an increase in cardiovascular disease risk. Nevertheless, the primary symptom of the menopause is hot flushes which affects everyday life of the women considerably. This talk will outline how improving fitness with exercising training has a positive impact on improving menopausal symptoms, blood vessel and skeletal muscle health, all of which contribute to reducing cardiovascular disease risk, even if the exercise training begins during the menopausal transition. Finally, the talk will make recommendations for females exercising during the menopausal transition.

Professor Helen Jones is a Cardiovascular Exercise Physiologist at Liverpool John Moores University. Her research focus is on endocrinology and blood vessel function in humans. Her research aims to understand conditions where changes in hormones cause cardiovascular consequences and increased cardiovascular risk (e.g. type 2 diabetes and female reproductive conditions including the menopausal transition).

Professor Jones is a 2018 Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow.