VHI’s Dr Bernadette Carr answers your health questions

I am a woman in my late 40s and although I am in good health, there is a history of heart disease in my family. 

Should I make an appointment with my GP to discuss my risk and have my blood pressure checked?

An understanding of heart disease in women is very important and I would encourage you to make an appointment with your GP. Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death of women in Ireland and approximately 5,000 women die from cardiovascular disease each year. For this reason it is important for women to know their risk factors — those which cannot be changed and those which can be modified, in some cases, by lifestyle changes.