Heart disease: It's not just about men...Warning signs are often different
for women than men
More than 40 percent of the women who died in Missouri, lost their
lives to heart disease according to the Missouri Department of
Health and Senior Services. Although heart disease was once
considered a man's disease, it is the number one killer of women
across the country.
"Many people still believe heart attacks happen primarily to men,
and women are not at risk, but heart disease is not just a man
thing,"
said Judy Alexiou, program coordinator for the department's Missouri
Heart Disease and Stroke Program. "Women must learn to recognize the
signs and symptoms of a heart attack in order to seek medical
treatment that can save their lives."
Of the total number of Missouri women who died in 2002, 41.1 percent
or 11,800 women died from cardiovascular disease.
The signs and symptoms of a heart attack can be much different for
women than men. The classic signs for men, including chest pains,
feelings of fullness or squeezing and pain shooting down the left
arm, are usually not the ones women primarily report. The symptoms
women more often experience include:
-A sudden shortness of breath -Sudden sweating and\or flu-like
symptoms (nausea, clamminess or cold sweats)
-Unusual fatigue, light-headedness, weakness or dizziness
-Pain in the upper back, neck or jaw or between the shoulder blades
-Feelings of anxiousness
-Indigestion
-Insomnia
While it is important for all women to know the heart attack
symptoms, some women are more at risk for heart disease than others.
Risk factors
include: smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,
overweight and obesity, age, physical inactivity, diabetes, a family
history of heart disease and menopause.
Race or ethnicity is another risk factor. African-American and
Hispanic women face the highest risk of death from heart disease.
"Some risk factors, such as age, race and family history, are beyond
our control," Alexiou said. "But it is important to know that others
can be prevented or controlled with lifestyle changes and
medication."
Women who have heart disease often do not fare as well as men with
the disease.
-More women than men (38 percent to 25 percent) will die within one
year of a recognized heart attack.
-More women than men (35 percent to 18 percent) heart attack
survivors will have another heart attack within six years.
-Women are almost twice as likely as men to die after by-pass
surgery.
-Women are less likely than men to receive certain medical
treatments including beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and aspirin after
a heart attack.
-Women represent only 25 percent of participants in heart disease
studies.
"The good news is medical professionals are becoming more aware of
the risks and symptoms of heart disease in women and are taking
steps to
better address women's health care needs," Alexiou said.
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