Professor Martha Hickey to co-lead major international menopause and heart health study

Professor Martha Hickey, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne, and Co-Director of the Gynaecology Research Centre and Head of Unit for Menopause Services at the Royal Women’s Hospital, will co-lead a major international study investigating links between menopause and heart disease risk.

The SHE-HEALS study, co-led with Professor Ziad Mallat of the University of Cambridge, has been awarded approximately AU$15 million from the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum (GCRFF).

The study will use an existing Australian cohort study to understand how early menopause increases heart disease risk and how this risk can be mitigated, and incorporate advanced techniques to look at changes in arteries that start during perimenopause and drive increased heart disease risk post-menopause.

A clinical trial will also be conducted as part of the study to evaluate whether early treatments such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure in the early years after menopause can protect women’s long-term heart health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women globally and risk of heart disease in many women increases sharply after menopause.

“We know that menopause seems to be a critical time for women’s heart health and it’s truly a great honour to be co-leading this major global study that will help us support women and clinicians to reduce this risk,” Professor Hickey said.

“I believe we can make a real change in the understanding and management of heart health for millions of women worldwide.”

The funding was awarded as part of the GCRFF’s International Research Challenge on Women’s Cardiovascular Health. The GCRFF is a network of major international cardiovascular research funders, with this scheme marking the alliance’s first major joint investment to address areas of unmet clinical need.

“Attracting major international funding to co-lead collaborative research is a remarkable achievement,” said Professor Mike McGuckin, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

“This study will bring much needed insights into heart disease risk and menopause, helping to address a critical knowledge and implementation gap in women’s cardiovascular health.”