My previous post on heart disease dealt with my personal experience with heart disease and a heart attack. I would never have guessed that heart disease is the Number 1 cause of death in women. I was in good company because according to the CDC only 56 percent of women recognize heart disease as their Number 1 killer. In fact, heart disease killed 299,578 women in 2017 – about 1 of 5 female deaths. This post will present information and statistics from the CDC, NIH and the Mayo Clinic on heart disease especially in older women.
Information from the Mayo Clinic points out that since women’s symptoms often differ from men’s, it is important for women to recognize these differences so they can know what to look for. By learning their unique causes and symptoms, women can begin to reduce their risks.
Some type of chest pain, discomfort and pressure that lasts a short time can be experienced by both men and women. Women may describe this as a tightening or pressure and it is possible to have a heart attack without chest pain. Women are more likely than men to have symptoms unrelated to chest pain and these may be vague and not as noticeable as crushing chest pain.
- Neck, jaw, shoulder upper back, upper back or abdominal discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in one or both arms
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Unusual fatigue
- Indigestion
Women tend to experience symptoms when resting or sleeping. Emotional stress can play a part in women’s heart attacks. Because women don’t always realize that they are having a heart attack, they tend to hesitate to call 911 or go to the ER in time to prevent heart damage.
The Mayo Clinic notes that factors such as high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure affect both men and women but there are symptoms that occur more frequently in women, such as:
- Diabetes
- Mental stress and depression
- Smoking
- Inactivity
- Menopause
- Pregnancy Complications
- Family history of early heart disease
- Inflammatory diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
Suggestions for a healthy life by the Mayo Clinic, CDC and NIH include the following:
- Quit smoking
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat a healthy diet
- Manage your stress
- Limit alcohol to one drink a day. One drink is 5 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounce of distilled spirits
- Stick to your treatment plan including medications
- Manage and monitor blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Low dose aspirin therapy is sometimes recommended for women but should not be started without advice from your doctor as aspirin can cause bleeding.
The one piece of advice provided by all the related groups is to call 911 immediately if you experience symptoms of or think you are having a heart attack. It is also agreed that women hesitate to call 911 for fear of feeling silly if it is nothing serious. We know our bodies and should never feel hesitant to call for help when we know something is not right. It could be one of the most important calls we ever make.