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LET'S ACT
Often perceived as a male health issue, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death among women worldwide. Despite this, there is still a lack of
awareness and prevention of these diseases among women, leading to under-diagnosis, under-treatment, and therefore increased mortality.³
in the development of cardiovascular diseases⁴
Professor Stéphane Laurent - Cardiologist
Hypertension silently damages the entire cardiovascular system: in response to increased pressure, the heart thickens and arteries become more rigid, disrupting the function of sensitive organs like the kidneys, heart, or brain, leading to death or serious cognitive or motor after-effects.⁴
People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (or AFib), an abnormality in the heart's electrical activity.
Often asymptomatic, AFib can lead to heart failure, stroke, or even cognitive decline.
When women have hypertension, they are twice as likely to develop LVH⁴.
This thickening of the walls of the heart's main pumping chamber can lead to heart failure.
Hypertension significantly increases the risks of coronary insufficiency also called ischemic heart disease (HD).
The disease is particularly more common in women over 65 years old⁴.
The effect of HD induces a decrease in blood, oxygen, and nutrient supply to the heart⁷.
This disease occurs when one or more of the heart's four valves fail to open or close properly.
People with hypertension are more prone to it⁸.
Our pledge
It's critical for every woman to be able to regularly check her blood pressure at home, adjusting the frequency of these measurements based on her individual risk factors, as part of her daily routine.
Women's blood pressure is at a range lower than men's. Yet, the guidelines are the same for women and men. More and more clinical studies call for the implementation of specific recommendations for women and highlight that they can develop complications, like stroke, even with mild hypertension⁷⁻¹³⁻¹⁴⁻¹⁵.
Vigilance is needed on female-specific risk factors for hypertension, such as mental load and stress-a cardiovascular risk factor still too unknown to the public yet major in women. Additionally, hormonal exposure, particularly during pregnancy, menopause, and the use of certain hormonal contraceptives, is another key factor¹⁶.
We must raise awareness of hypertension-related symptoms in women, particularly signs of myocardial infarction, which include nausea, epigastric pain, fatigue and shortness of breath. When experiencing symptoms, we must encourage women to seek medical consultation without hesitation¹⁷.
Mathilde Chevalier - PruvoHealth Philosopher
Adapt medicine
Indeed, female and male DNA differ, having consequences in their functioning, especially at the cardiovascular level. For example, sex chromosomes influence hormone production, thus altering the risk of diseases: estrogen protects women from heart diseases while increasing the risk of certain cancers, like breast cancer.¹⁰
Clinical studies in cardiology have traditionally favored male cohorts, leading to an insufficient understanding of gender-specificities in cardiovascular diseases, affecting the development of effective and suitable treatments for women.⁹
Stress and hormonal changes like menopause significantly impact women's cardiovascular health. Enhancing awareness and medical education about these factors is vital for prevention and diagnosis.¹⁰
Women are treated for their cardiovascular diseases less often than men. Only 20% of hypertensive women have balanced blood pressure thanks to effective and suitable care and treatment.¹⁻¹²
Aline Criton Correas - Director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, Withings
Monitoring cardiovascular health and hypertension involves tracking a set of biomarkers in addition to blood pressure: heart rate, ECG, arterial stiffness, activity score, body composition, and percentage of body fat.
"I have been diagnosed with a complete third-degree atrioventricular block. Despite maintaining 95% oxygen saturation while in the hospital, this sensation of asphyxiation causes me significant anxiety. ScanWatch allows me to monitor my sleep and oxygen levels to reassure myself, but also to provide my data to my doctor."
Withings User
"Having experienced diabetes and low blood pressure during my previous pregnancy, being able to easily monitor my heart rate and blood pressure data at home has become essential for me to prevent any potential discomfort."
Withings User
"My Withings devices helped power my convalescence and allowed me to share my measurements with my doctor."
Withings User
To support women's health, Withings offers powerful health scans that are integrated into our watches, scales, and blood pressure monitors. These devices work together and form a user-friendly, holistic health monitoring system that can detect pathologies early, and encourage positive lifestyle changes.
Withings partners with hospitals and universities around the world, actively contributing to accelerating the technological revolution in healthcare.
Our clinical research aims to better understand and manage female hypertension.
