Canadian Cardiovascular Congress: Andrea de Haan’s Experience

Andrea de Haan is a master’s student in Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, conducting her research under Dr. Shuangbo Liu at St. Boniface Hospital. She is also a study coordinator at the Interventional Cardiology Research Institute. Her research interests include advancing patient-centred models of care, digital health tool innovation, and women’s heart health.

While at CCC 2025, I gravitated toward the women’s heart health sessions, which offered powerful reminders of where progress is being made – and where gaps remain. These five takeaways summarize the information that resonated most.

1.   Early menopause significantly increases cardiovascular risk

As estrogen levels decline, changes in vascular function, lipid metabolism, body composition, and blood pressure collectively increase the risk of heart disease – especially for those who experience menopause early.

2.   Female-specific risk factors are not captured in current risk assessment tools

Conventional and female-specific risk factors such as pregnancy complications, early menopause, and autoimmune disease disproportionately increase cardiovascular risk. These are often under-recognized in standard risk assessments.

3.   The menopausal transition triggers an atherogenic lipid shift

Rises in LDL-C, ApoB, triglycerides, and total cholesterol around this stage mark an important window for risk assessment and intervention.

4.   Blood pressure trajectories worsen more steeply in females

Females experience greater vascular damage at lower blood pressure thresholds than males, underscoring the need for earlier identification and aggressive risk-factor management.

5.   The “sandwich generation” stress load increases cardiovascular risk

The menopausal transition often overlaps with a particularly demanding life stage, when many women are working full time, raising children, and caring for aging parents. These combined stressors can elevate blood pressure and contribute to cardiovascular risk, compounding the biological changes already underway.