Famous for her intense workouts and active lifestyle, 59-year-old television presenter Davina McCall disclosed that she is living with cardiovascular disease. Speaking on her Begin Again podcast, Davina explained she had dealt with elevated cholesterol for years, assuming her high levels of protective HDL cholesterol offset the harmful non-HDL type. This diagnosis follows earlier health challenges for the former Big Brother host, who had surgery for a benign brain tumour in 2024 and faced a breast cancer diagnosis last year. Reviewing these events, she confessed she previously believed she was invincible.

Medical professionals note her case demonstrates that while physical fitness and good nutrition protect the heart, they do not completely erase vulnerability. Professor Rasha Al-Lamee, an interventional cardiologist at Imperial College London, stated that keeping fit aids cardiovascular health, but clinic patients often face risks driven by uncontrollable factors like genetics and high cholesterol. Although diet and exercise lower risk, individuals with a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol may require medication.

Cardiovascular disease encompasses conditions affecting blood vessels and the heart. A frequent variant is coronary heart disease, where fatty accumulations restrict arteries delivering blood to the heart. Professor Al-Lamee noted that high cholesterol ranks among the primary risk factors for coronary heart disease, which can progress silently for years before triggering chest discomfort or a heart attack.

Data from the British Heart Foundation indicates over four million women in the UK live with cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, coronary heart disease claims the lives of more than twice as many women in the UK than breast cancer. Professor Al-Lamee remarked that women rarely consider heart attacks happening to them, focusing instead on breast cancer, even though heart disease occurs frequently among women.

The core issue is that when symptoms arise, women may fail to identify them as heart disease indicators, partly because many mistakenly view it as a male-centric condition. Professor Al-Lamee explained that coronary artery disease triggers chest pain during physical activity, breathing difficulties, and discomfort in the neck, jaw, or back. Women should also take note if familiar activities suddenly cause severe breathlessness or unusual fatigue.

Patients are not the only ones missing indicators. Research backed by the British Heart Foundation revealed that women experiencing a heart attack faced a 50 per cent higher likelihood of an incorrect initial diagnosis compared to men. Regarding heart attacks, a widespread misconception proves particularly hazardous. Cardiologist Dr Mike MacDonald noted that claims of women experiencing atypical heart attacks represent only a half-truth, as chest tightness, pressure, and pain remain the primary symptoms for women.

Roughly nine out of ten women undergoing a heart attack report chest discomfort, matching the proportion seen in men. Nonetheless, women display double the likelihood of feeling pain between their shoulder blades, while others encounter vomiting or nausea, mistaking those signs for a stomach upset. Additional women recall profound exhaustion in the days or weeks preceding a heart attack. One study found seven out of ten women experienced unexplained fatigue before an attack.

Dr MacDonald cautioned that younger individuals might attribute symptoms to anxiety or stress. He warned about unrecognized heart attacks, noting many remain silent and emerge years later during routine cardiac checks. Menopause constitutes another critical element in female heart health. On her podcast, Davina warned that cardiovascular disease and heart attacks are prevalent, especially among post-menopausal women.

Professor Al-Lamee explained that women typically develop coronary artery disease ten years later than men. Oestrogen offers protection, but that gap narrows as women reach menopause and oestrogen levels decline. A 2025 study involving upwards of 220,000 women in the UK Biobank revealed that post-menopausal women faced an 18 per cent higher probability of high cardiovascular risk classification compared to pre-menopausal women, even after adjusting for age and other variables.

Davina's situation serves as a reminder that elevated cholesterol can persist undetected for years, typically surfacing only via blood tests. Professor Al-Lamee advises routine blood pressure and cholesterol screenings regardless of perceived fitness, paired with regular exercise and a Mediterranean-style diet rich in wholegrains, fruit, and vegetables. Reducing alcohol intake and quitting smoking also assist. Certain individuals, particularly those with a family history of early heart disease or high cholesterol, may still require pharmaceutical intervention.

While new breathing difficulties or chest discomfort during exertion warrant medical evaluation, anyone suspecting an active heart attack should dial 999 immediately. Davina urged women to avoid repeating her assumptions regarding health, warning not to brush symptoms aside.

I am fit and healthy like Davina, but also have a silent killer

By Jane Atkinson

"Like Davina, you wouldn't expect a woman who is a personal trainer, who runs, loves hot yoga and knows exactly how to lift a heavy weight to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, and yet, here I am."

"And like Davina, I've known for several years that I have a large amount of bad cholesterol, but never worried because that was balanced by the 'good' cholesterol."

"This month, however, I was taken aback by the results of a private cardiovascular health screening with Tomorrow Wellness."

"After nearly two hours of tests, I discovered my heart health wasn't quite as rosy as I'd thought."

"The vascular imaging, to look for signs of arterial disease, including plaque or narrowing of the arteries, terrified me."

"They put ultrasound gel on my neck, groin, behind my knees and on my ankles and scanned all my major blood vessels."

"And bingo, there it was on the screen in front of me."

"I could see the thickening of the innermost layer of my blood vessels, something called intimal hyperplasia, which is the precursor to atherosclerosis."

"When it gets to this stage, the arteries harden or narrowing."

"This silent condition can, if not dealt with, lead to a heart attack or stroke."

"The specialist said this probably had a lot to do with my cholesterol and history of smoking, although I stopped more than a decade ago, Nothing I can do about that now."

"But I, like Davina, can look to the future and try to halt its progression."

"So a bit more running, a few less takeaways, and monitoring again in a year."