Portrait interview with Eva Gerdts

Tell us a bit about yourself  

I am a professor in cardiology at the University of Bergen and senior consultant at Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital.  

Can you tell us a little about your role in the project?  

I am a member of the project management group. My role in the project is to chair the work package focusing on ‘Women’. This is relevant to ensure that women and men are equally recruited to the project, and that study documents are relevant and understandable to women.   

Why is this project important?  

The benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are well documented, however less than 25% of all eligible cardiac patients participate in CR, and the drop-out rate is about 50%. Few women are referred to CR. Since participation in CR is associated with reduced risk of new hospitalization and death after a heart attack (myocardial infarction), it is important to understand why so few complete CR. This must be done in a sex-specific manner, since both personal and health system factors may affect participation and completion in women and men differently.  

What does your work package entail?  

My work package is about women, and whether women and men included in the program differ in relation to completion of the program, health literacy, e-health literacy and adherence to prevention strategies. Of particular relevance is also to understand the sex difference in interest for CR.

Since high blood pressure (hypertension) is particularly damaging to women’s heart, I am particularly interested in blood pressure control both at the baseline and final study visit. Relevant aspects here are how the study personal act on elevated blood pressure, and whether female and male participants differ in health literacy, drug adherence, and in engagement in blood pressure measurements at home.  

Fun fact!  

When I was a young doctor and became interested in sex differences in heart disease, my mentors advised me to forget about my ‘silly’ ideas, while my female patients encouraged me to follow my track. So happy that I listened to my patients!