When it comes to cardiovascular disease, women have been disadvantaged for a long time.

In the general community, and even among health professionals, there has been a view that CVD risk is synonymous with middle-aged men in suits.

This misconception prompted American cardiologist Dr Bernadine Healy 18 years ago to coin the term ‘Yentl syndrome’.

By this she was indicating that because of the mindset, a woman has to present with similar symptoms to men in order to be diagnosed and treated appropriately. But in reality, women have different risk factors and present differently.