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Know the warning signs so you can protect yourself

By Joelle Klein

Heart disease — the number one cause of death in the US — has long been thought to be a man’s disease, yet it’s the cause of 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, and fewer women than men survive their first heart attack. 

Because signs of heart disease in women are often subtler than those in men (think of a movie heart attack, when the man clutches his chest and keels over), women need to recognize when something feels wrong or is out of the ordinary — and be their own advocates.

Here are the warning signs of heart disease and heart attacks for women:

During a heart attack, the most common symptom for both genders is chest pain or discomfort (known as angina) — yet only half of women who have heart attacks experience it. Angina happens when the heart isn’t getting enough blood. Men often feel it as pressure or squeezing in the chest and pain that extends to one or both arms. Women may get these symptoms, but also a sharp, burning pain in the chest, along with pain in the neck, jaw, throat, abdomen or back. Women are also more likely than men to experience indigestion, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue (tiredness), lightheadedness or breathing problems when having a heart attack.  

Unfortunately, many of these symptoms tend to mimic other, not-so-serious conditions, so women are slower to get the medical care they need. According to the Women’s Heart Foundation, 42% of women who have heart attacks die within one year, compared to 24% of men. And women’s heart attacks are twice as likely as men’s to be fatal under the age of 50.

Another key difference: in men, angina tends to get worse with physical activity and go away with rest. Women, however, often feel it when they’re resting or sleeping. Still, regardless of your gender, “any discomfort between the navel and the nose that comes on with exertion, either physical or emotional, should be considered a potential heart problem,” says Sheila Sahni, MD, chief cardiology fellow at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

If symptoms are treated aggressively, survival rates should be the same for both genders, Sahni notes. Which is why it’s so important to take any symptoms seriously, and act on them accordingly. If you’re feeling symptoms that are out of the ordinary or concerned that you may be having a heart attack, never be afraid to call 911 — your life could depend on it. “Always go to the doctor, even if you think it’s just heartburn. Better to go and know,” says Sahni.

Now that you’ve learned the warning signs, learn more about women’s special risks for heart disease — and how to change your lifestyle to prevent heart disease.

Published on June 17, 2016. 

Joelle Klein is a Denver-based freelance health and lifestyle writer.