Studies based on data gathered in 2012 show that women’s awareness of heart disease is increasing compared to previous years. However, heart disease continues to be the number one killer of women in the US. Mortality rates due to the disease in the past three decades are decreasing in both men and women, but the rate of decline is slower among women.

Recent data also reveal that more than a third of all women in the US are living with cardiovascular disease, including almost half of the African-American women and about a third of Caucasian women.

Coronary heart disease has been diagnosed in almost 6% of Caucasian and Mexican-American women, and almost 8% of African American women. Most deaths among African American and Caucasian women are due to heart disease, while cancer and heart disease share the same spot as the leading cause of death in Hispanic women. Heart disease ranks second to cancer as the top killer among American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and Asian women. It is very unfortunate that most women (64%) who experience sudden cardiac death do not have any symptoms of heart disease to warn them, or choose to ignore them.

Heart Disease Risk Factors in Women

Many risk factors that lead to the development of coronary heart disease in women are similar to those in men, but certain factors may play a bigger role in women. Obesity, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure increase both men and women’s likelihood of acquiring heart disease; in addition to these factors women are more vulnerable to other heart-related causes, such as:

• Diabetes, or chronically high blood sugar levels, which increases women’s risk of heart disease more than it does men
• Metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by a combination of belly fat, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high triglyceride levels, exerts greater impact on women
• Depression and mental stress, which affect women’s heart health more than men’s
• Smoking, which has been found to have a greater influence on women’s development of heart disease
• Lack of physical activity, which is present among more women than men
• Menopause, which leads to low levels of estrogen, poses a significant risk for developing cardiovascular disease
• Complications of pregnancy, such as diabetes or high blood pressure can increase a woman’s risk of developing chronic diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as heart disease

Symptoms of Heart Disease in Women

Many people believe that heart disease is predominantly a man’s disease because they are more likely to experience the symptoms of the disease. However, although women are almost equally affected, they are less likely to exhibit any symptoms and are more likely to be unaware of their condition. They are also more likely to ignore, dismiss, or attribute their symptoms to another condition.

The common symptoms of heart disease in women include fatigue, indigestion, shortness of breath, jaw/throat pain, and left arm pain. Many women die at home or are dead on arrival at the hospital because they fail to recognize these symptoms as being related to heart disease or a heart attack.

Some women do experience the classic symptom of chest pain or angina, which is characterized by a dull or heavy chest discomfort, sharp chest pain, pain in the neck/throat/jaw, and upper abdominal or back pain. These symptoms may occur at rest, or they may begin during some physical activity. Symptoms may also be triggered by stress.

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Many women have silent heart disease, which is not diagnosed until they experience symptoms of a heart attack. Others may experience arrhythmias, heart failure, or stroke without warning.

Symptoms of a heart attack may include chest pain or chest discomfort that is not relieved by rest, shortness of breath, pain in the upper back, nausea/vomiting, indigestion or heartburn, extreme fatigue, and discomfort in the upper body. Palpitations or arrhythmias are felt as a fluttering or pounding sensation in the chest.

Chest pain and discomfort may be characterized as squeezing, pressing, fullness or sharp pain in the center of the chest. This may last for more than just a few minutes, or it may go away and come back. Arm pain or discomfort may occur on the left side or in both arms. Lightheadedness and cold sweat (diaphoresis) may also occur in some women.

Women who experience any of these symptoms must call 911 for immediate help to save their lives.

Here are some useful links to obtain more information about women’s heart health:

Women and Heart Disease. This page has links regarding AHA’s advocacy for women and heart disease.

Effectiveness-Based Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women. Guidelines on heart disease prevention based on research have been published in the Circulation journal.

Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors. Understanding the risk factors and symptoms of heart disease can help women to improve their heart health.

Menopause and Heart Disease. This article explains how hormonal changes can affect women’s risk for heart disease.

Women and Heart Disease Fact Sheet. This CDC fact sheet summarizes how women are affected by heart disease.

Top 5 Symptoms of Heart Disease in Women. This presentation of heart disease in women is different from what most of us know about the disease.

Heart Disease in Women. This is a compendium of information women need to know about heart disease.

Heart Health and Stroke. This website provides a wealth of information on the number one and the number three causes of death in women in the US.

The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women. This handbook was prepared by the government to help women protect their heart health.

Facts About Heart Disease in Women. This is an information page by AHA’s Go Red for Women.

Heart disease and women. UMMC provides a short and easy-to-understand resource about heart disease in women.

Work Stress Raises Women’s Heart Risk. A report shows that women who experience high job strain have a 40% increase in cardiovascular disease, and almost 90% increase in heart attack risk.

Radiation Raises Women’s Risk of Heart Disease Only Slightly. A study shows that radiation treatment for women with breast cancer increase their risk of heart disease.

The WISEWOMAN program. This is the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program for low-income, under-insured or uninsured women, which provides them with risk factor screening for chronic disease and lifestyle programs, as well as referral services.

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women. This is the AHA’s information page on symptoms women must watch out for to save their own lives.

Heart Disease Holds Special Danger for Women. Alice K. Jacobs, M.D., a specialist in cardiovascular disease in women, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Interventional Cardiology at Boston Medical Center, talks about the women’s risk of heart disease.