Deadly blockage dismissed as anxiety

Media release: Friday 6 March 2026

Deadly blockage dismissed as anxiety: a near-tragic female experience of heart disease

Former MasterChef contestant Mandy Hall shares her cautionary tale ahead of International Women’s Day

Former MasterChef contestant Mandy Hall is this week sharing her story of how her symptoms of a severe arterial blockage were initially dismissed by medical professionals as anxiety.

Mandy is not alone - heart disease is the leading cause of death for women worldwide yet remains under‑studied, under‑diagnosed and under‑treated, with symptoms in women too often dismissed or misunderstood as a result.

So significant is the matter that improving heart health equity for women is a key part of the Heart Foundation's new 25-year vision, Health for Every Heart.

Ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, the Heart Foundation spoke with Mandy about her experience in the latest Stories from the Heart podcast episode.

Mandy shares her experience of being repeatedly told her persistent and alarming symptoms were due to anxiety, before eventually discovering she had a 90 per cent blockage in a major artery.

Being told she was experiencing anxiety made her feel “shame and regret’ for seeking medical help.

“Not that anxiety should be brushed away in its own right, but that affected everything for me because it made me feel like I couldn't listen to my body properly. It made me feel like I should just go back to work and stop fussing about something that wasn't there.”

Mandy's story is alarming but not uncommon. A number of key factors remain when it comes to women and heart disease in Australia:

• Almost every hour of every day an Australian woman dies of coronary heart disease. On average that equates to 20 women a day.
• Research shows that women are much less likely to undergo treatment for heart attack or angina (chest pain) in hospital compared to men.
• For women, the risk of cardiovascular disease changes throughout life’s course. It’s important to be aware of the risk factors that specifically affect women, and what you can do to look after your heart health.
• Symptoms can be less obvious or “non‑classic”, which can delay seeking help. Women may experience fatigue, nausea, back or jaw pain, or shortness of breath rather than intense chest pain.
• Unique conditions in women including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and menopause‑related changes can increase long‑term cardiovascular risk.

For more information visit our page on Women and heart disease