About Cardiovascular Disease in Women – Symptoms & Risk Factors Unique to Women

“Heart disease is often thought to be more of a problem for men. More than one in three women is living with some form of cardiovascular disease.”

We can change this because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action. Fortunately, by learning more about the heart disease and their unique symptoms, women can begin to reduce their risks.

Heart attack symptoms in women

Some type of chest pain, pressure or discomfort – these are the common symptoms of heart attack in men and women. But chest pain is not most noticeable symptoms particularly in woman. And it’s possible to have a heart attack without chest pain. Below are some symptoms unrelated to chest pain:

Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
Shortness of breath
Pain in one or both arms
Nausea or vomiting
Sweating
Light-headedness or dizziness
Unusual fatigue
Indigestion

These symptoms may not be as noticeable as chest pain. Women tend to have symptoms more often while resting or when asleep than in men. Also, women don’t always recognize their symptoms as those of a heart attack, they tend to show up in emergency room after heart damage has been occurred.

If you or anyone you know, have above mentioned symptoms, call for emergency medical help immediately.

Heart disease risk factor for women

Several traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease — such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity — affect both women and men. But there are certain other factors that play a bigger role in developing heart diseases in women:

Diabetes
Mental stress and depression
Smoking
Physical inactivity
Pregnancy complications
Family history of early heart disease
Inflammatory diseases

How women can reduce their risk of heart disease

We all know and that is simple to answer that is “living a healthy lifestyle can definitely help reduce the risk of heart diseases not only in women but in men as well. Try these #IAmHeartHealthy habits:

Quit Smoking & Alcohol. If you don’t smoke or drink, don’t start. Try to avoid even secondhand smoke, which is equally dangerous for blood vessels.

Exercise to reduce the risk. Of course this is general for all. Study recommends 30 minutes a day, five days a week. So start slowly and build up.

Manage your stress. Stress can cause your arteries to tighten, which can increase your risk of heart disease.

Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight and obesity are more common in women. If you’re overweight, losing even a few pounds can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of diabetes. Having a normal body mass index (BMI) is helpful.

Managing other health conditions. Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes under control.

Is treatment for heart disease in women, different than in men?

In general, heart disease treatment in women and in men is similar. It can include medications, angioplasty and stenting, or coronary bypass surgery.

Angioplasty and stenting, commonly used treatments for heart attack, work for both men and women. But for coronary bypass surgery, women are more likely than men to have complications.

The more a woman knows about heart disease, better the chance she has to beat it.