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Heart Disease Symptoms Differ Between
Sexes
Women's heart disease develops
differently than men's and often progresses over a much
longer period of time.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for American
women, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
African American and Hispanic American women are more likely
to die from heart disease than are Caucasian American women.
And women with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop
severe heart disease than are men with type 2 diabetes.
Women's heart disease symptoms can also be more subtle
than men's symptoms, and they can lead physicians to
explore other possible causes rather than a disorder of the
heart.
A study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research
found that women often have warning signs of a heart attack
for a considerable period of time before having one. The
symptoms -- nausea, fatigue and dizziness -- are often
dismissed by health care providers as stress. That's
because these symptoms are quite different from symptoms
experienced by men with heart disease.
Below is an overview of the most significant symptoms for
women, compared with the symptoms for men.
Women's symptoms
-
Trouble sleeping.
-
Shortness of breath.
-
Anxiety.
-
Unusual fatigue. Fatigue associated with heart disease is
usually overwhelming and not typical for the person.
-
Dizziness. Unexplained lightheadedness, even blackouts.
-
Edema. Swelling, particularly of the ankles and/or lower
legs.
-
Fluttering (or rapid) heartbeats.
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Indigestion, gastric upset or nausea.
Men's symptoms
-
Sudden pressure, tightness, fullness, squeezing or pain in
the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes
or goes away and then comes back.
-
Pain that radiates from the center of the chest to the
shoulders, neck or arms.
-
Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating,
nausea or shortness of breath.
-
Sudden onset of rapid heartbeats.
Women are less likely to experience
painful symptoms of heart disease, such as angina. If women do
have heart disease pain, it may be in the stomach area instead
of on the left side of the chest, as it often is in men, the AMA
says. Stomach pain or discomfort in women may be diagnosed as
heartburn or indigestion rather than heart disease.
Because the symptoms of heart disease in women either are
absent or are so different from those of men -- and thus ignored
-- the first heart attack for women can be fatal, the AMA
says.
In general, risk factors for heart disease do not differ between
men and women. Risk factors are:
-
Smoking
-
High blood pressure
-
Being overweight
-
Little or no regular exercise
-
Diabetes
-
High cholesterol
-
Family history of heart disease
Some differences exist, however. Women
with a low level of HDL ("good") cholesterol or a high
level of triglycerides appear to be more at risk for heart
disease than men with these factors. Women with type 2 diabetes
appear to be a greater risk for severe heart disease than men
with type 2 diabetes. Talk to your doctor if you have questions
or concerns about heart disease. Your doctor is your best source
of information on this illness.
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Copyright 2003 Health Ink &
Vitality Communications
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20351091(1)-12/03-EBS-CON
