Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading killer of women in the United States. It kills nearly twice as many women in the United States than all types of cancer, including breast cancer.
Early Signs
Studies have shown that women have undiagnosed warning signs weeks, months and even years before having a heart attack.
Significant differences exist in the symptoms displayed by women and men. Men typically experience the "classic" heart attack signs: tightness in the chest, arm pain and shortness of breath. Women's symptoms – nausea, overwhelming fatigue and dizziness – are strikingly different, but are often thought to only be from stress.
Unusual fatigue, trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, indigestion and anxiety were the top five symptoms reported by both black and white women in a study conducted by the American Heart Association. However, black women had more intense episodes and reported them more often.
Act in time
Recognizing and treating a heart attack right away dramatically improves a patient's chance for survival. The typical American, however, waits 2 hours before calling for help.
Studies have shown drugs that dissolve coronary blood clots during a heart attack can reduce the death rate in both men and women, although women have a higher risk of stroke from the therapy.
Women coming into the hospital for a heart attack have a higher death rate and higher risk of complications. A pre-menopausal woman having a heart attack has twice the death rate of a similarly aged man, according to experts.
Know the warning signs and always call 911 within five minutes of the onset of symptoms. By acting quickly, a heart attack victim is less likely to experience cardiac arrest (where the heart stops beating).
Prevention tied to belief
There is no denying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Women should take charge of their health by working with their doctor to address risk factors and keep tabs on cholesterol levels, blood pressure and lifestyle.
According to the American Heart Association, low blood levels of "good" cholesterol (high density lipoprotein, or HDL) are a stronger predictor of heart disease in women than in men. Also, a major study showed that post-menopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy have an increased risk of heart attack and death by coronary artery disease.
Women & Heart Disease
- Cardiovascular disease kills about one woman a minute.
- Sixty-four percent of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms.
- More women than men will die within the first year after a heart attack.
Source: American Heart Association/Go Red For Women
Women are categorized based on their likelihood of experiencing a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke, death) in the next 10 years:
- High risk – the woman has a greater than 20% chance of an event in the next 10 years. Examples of women at high risk include those who have a history of stroke, heart disease, vascular disease in the legs, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
- Intermediate risk – the woman has a 10 - 20% chance of event in the next 10 years. Examples of women at intermediate risk include those with calcium in coronary arteries, metabolic syndrome, multiple heart risk factors and women with family history of early heart disease.
- Lower risk – the woman has less than a 10% chance of event in the next 10 years. Women at the lowest risk have none of the above-mentioned conditions and one or less risk factors for heart disease.
The American Heart Association has published guidelines regarding prevention of cardiovascular disease in women.
The guidelines recommend the following:
- Do not smoke or use tobacco.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Watch your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Women who recently had a heart attack, angina, angioplasty, or a stent procedure should join a cardiac rehabilitation program.
- Eat a heart healthy diet, including: a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes and sources of protein low in saturated fat.
- Get checked for depression and treatment if necessary.
- High-risk women should take omega-3 fatty acid supplements.
- Folic acid supplements may be considered in some high-risk women if a higher than normal level of homocysteine has been detected. (These should not be taken after coronary revascularization.)
- Be aware of family history of cardiovascular diseases.