Heart Disease a Special Danger for Women
While many Americans are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States, fewer are familiar with how the epidemic particularly affects women. More women than men die from heart disease each year, and after a heart attack, women are more likely to die from related complications. Currently, cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills nearly twice as many American women than all types of cancer combined.
The risk factors that contribute to heart disease are the same for men and women—high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, inactivity and obesity—and the treatment of coronary heart disease is effective in both men and women.
However, when it comes to heart attacks, women typically experience different symptoms than men and may fail to recognize their discomfort as an oncoming heart attack. While women can experience “text book” symptoms such as tightness in the chest and shortness of breath, symptoms can also present as nausea, overwhelming fatigue and dizziness, which can be more easily ignored or attributed to another ailment. Doctors advise calling 911 within five minutes of the onset of symptoms, so that a heart attack victim can benefit from life-saving treatment as quickly as possible.
Women need to take charge of their own heart health. Although we offer expert care for heart disease here at Atlanta Cardiology Consultants, women and men can do much in their daily lives to avoid becoming a victim of heart disease.
To get heart healthy, we recommend that women avoid smoking, get plenty of exercise, maintain a healthy weight and eat a healthy diet. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) supplements are also beneficial to women at high-risk for CVD. If a woman has recently had a heart attack, angina, angioplasty, stent procedure or bypass surgery, joining a cardiac rehabilitation program can also improve outcomes.
