Heart Disease: What Every Woman Should Know
Updated February 2003 — The good news is that fewer Americans are dying of cardiovascular disease than in the past. The bad news is that the number of women dying from heart attacks and strokes is increasing.
In fact, heart attack and stroke (brain attack) are the leading killers of women in America, accounting for more deaths than all forms of cancer combined. As many as half of women will eventually die of heart disease or stroke.
Although cardiovascular disease affects so many women, men have been the focus of most heart disease studies because, unlike with women, heart disease tends to strike men during their most productive years. Estrogen is the reason why most women don't encounter cardiovascular disease until well into their 40s. The hormone protects women by relaxing blood vessels and increasing levels of HDL (good) cholesterol while decreasing levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
At menopause, estrogen production stops and the risk of heart disease starts to rise. The more a woman ages, the more the risk increases. Studies suggest that estrogen replacement therapy may reduce this risk by as much as 50 percent for some women. However, it might also increase the risk of certain cancers. Women should speak with their physicians before deciding to have hormone replacement therapy.
Preventing Heart Disease
Some major risk factors for coronary heart disease are cigarette smoking, high blood pressure (hypertension), dyslipidemia (elevated lipids in the bloodstream), obesity, lack of exercise and poor nutrition. Most risk factors are similar in men and women, but diabetes and dyslipidemia are particularly high-risk factors for women. Obesity, especially in the abdomen, is another key risk factor for women.
A healthy diet and exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, with recent studies suggesting that a regular program of brisk walking or other mod-erately intense exercise is beneficial. Regular exercise also might help reduce the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Know the Symptoms
Prevention is important because the symptoms of heart disease in women can be hard to recognize, especially since they can be different than men's symptoms. In one study, more than two-thirds of women who died of a sudden heart attack had no previous symptoms of heart disease.
The most common symptom in men and women is chest pain. Nevertheless, women are much more likely than men to experience vague symptoms or those that are easily mistaken for other conditions, such as upper abdominal pain, shortness of breath, nausea and fatigue. Women who experience these symptoms should be checked for heart disease.
What Should Women Do?
The first step toward preventing heart disease is to learn about the problem. Be aware that heart attack risk is a major concern for aging women, and take preventive steps to reduce your risk. These steps should include:
- Exercising regularly
- Not smoking
- Having regular checkups
- Having your cholesterol level checked regularly
- Maintaining a healthy weight for your body type
- Keeping any diabetes and blood pressure problems under control
- Talking to your primary care physician about protecting yourself from heart attack and stroke
In addition, listen to your body and seek immediate medical care if you notice symptoms of heart attack or stroke. For a referral to a doctor in your area, call the Memorial Healthcare System Physician Referral Service at (800) 944-DOCS.