Article – H3 Network for Head-Heart-Hormone Connection and ADHD

Recent research shows that ADHD, heart problems and hormonal mood swings often occur in the same people. Women with ADHD suffer more from heart and hormonal complaints than average and suffer from this for an unnecessarily long time.

Launch of H3 Network by three experts

Following the results of this research, psychiatrist Prof. Sandra Kooij , cardiologist Dr. Janneke Wittekoek and gynecologist Dr. Dorenda van Dijken will launch the Head-Heart-Hormones (H3) Network on March 8, 2023, Women’s Day. The H3 network will be the first non-sponsored and therefore completely independent medical online platform with the aim of encouraging and facilitating integrated care in order to improve care for women. The H3 network makes knowledge more accessible to both professionals and patients, allowing women to be treated faster and better.

Women with ADHD suffer more from heart and hormonal complaints

It has been known for some time that a large number of women suffer from health problems for an unnecessarily long time. For example, it appears that women with ADHD, for example, suffer from hormonal mood swings/depression and heart complaints above average, especially in the period around menopause. There are also still many misunderstandings about, for example, ADHD in women, heart problems in women, menopause and hormone therapy, which means that women do not get the help they need and/or are on the waiting list for an unnecessarily long time: the ultimate reason to join the H3 network. to create.

“ As a cardiologist, I have been working on heart problems in women for years. Over the past ten years I have increasingly seen that these complaints arise from underlying psychological suffering or hormonal problems. That is why it is important to integrate the right care and join forces,” says cardiologist Dr.Janneke Wittekoek.

35% of women with heart problems also have ADHD

Men and women are equally likely to have ADHD. However, in women this is often only discovered during menopause. Recent research by PsyQ has shown that women with ADHD have two to three times as many premenstrual, postnatal and menopausal complaints as the general population. From a screening at HeartLife Clinics, more than 1 in 3 women with unexplained heart complaints also scored positive on a score list for ADHD.

“Our research is now focused on ADHD, but we expect that women with other psychological complaints such as bipolar disorder, PMDD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety and/or depression will also have similar complaints as women with ADHD. We hope to be able to do more research into this in the future,” says psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Sandra Kooij. The H3 network hopefully offers a solution for all these women-specific complaints.

Empowerment of patient and professional

The H3 Network makes knowledge available to healthcare professionals and experts through webinars, questionnaires and e-learning. “ For example, women are now on the waiting list for both a psychiatrist and a gynaecologist. By encouraging and facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration, the patient saves time and can be helped sooner, ” says gynecologist Dorenda van Dijken.

Finally; “ We want as many healthcare professionals and experts as possible to join us so that the H3 network can offer even more strength and cooperation.”   

The H3 network will be officially launched on Wednesday, March 8 via www.h3-netwerk.nl .

(source: www.heartlife.nl )

More about ADHD in women (including hormones, previous research by Sandra Kooij)

Also listen to this NRC podcast about the H3 Network and ADHD in women

Credit – Impuls & Woortblind