Heart Disease in Women
Though we may be more concerned with heart attacks in general, it is important to remember it is just one condition associated with the umbrella of heart diseases, which may also include coronary artery disease, valve disease, or rhythm problems—among others.
Causes and Symptoms
The cause of a heart disease may depend on one or more of the following risk factors:
- Diabetes: Women with diabetes have higher chances of developing heart disease than men. Additionally, because diabetes changes the way one perceives pain, it also increases the chances of a silent heart attack.
- Stress and depression: In addition to making it difficult overall to have a healthy lifestyle, stress has been found to affect women at a higher percentage than men when it comes to heart health.
- Smoking and inactivity: Undeniably the causes of myriad health problems, smoking and lack of physical activity directly influence heart health in women negatively.
- Menopause: A cause for concern after menopause is the low estrogen levels, which may lead to heart disease in smaller blood vessels.
- Pregnancy complications: Women’s long-term risk of high blood pressure and diabetes may be augmented if such health conditions make themselves present during pregnancy.
- Family history: History of early heart disease appears to be a higher risk factor in women than in men.
Symptoms of heart disease should be taken seriously, and be followed up with consultation with a medical professional, especially as they may resemble day-to-day symptoms of fatigue:
- Pain in the neck, jaw, or throat
- Sharp chest pain or discomfort, but also dull and heavy pain
- Pain in the back or upper abdomen
- Nausea, vomiting, and fatigue
- Indigestion and heartburn
- Chest palpitations
- Shortness of breath and swelling of the feet and ankles
Misdiagnosis
The two main reasons for misdiagnosed heart disease in women is that it is typically thought of as a male problem—despite it being the number one cause of death of American women—and that the symptoms are sometimes dismissed as something less serious.
A study conducted in 2018 found that 62% of women reported more than three symptoms that were not associated with the chest area or with chest pain, compared to 54.8% of men. Additionally, 53% of women in the study confessed to their doctors or health providers dismissing the symptoms as not associated with heart disease. Only 36.7% of men in the study reported their health provider treating their symptoms as something less.
Health Tips
Maintaining your overall health is important in preventing heart disease, but you may want to pay more particular attention to alcohol consumption and smoking, as well as add regular exercise to your routine. Managing and lowering stress levels and depression is also optimal, as is a diet that assists your overall health.