• Cardiovascular disease kills about one woman a minute
• Sixty-four percent of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms
• More women than men will die within the first year after a heart attack
• The rates of women who die from cardiovascular disease are much higher than those who die from breast cancer
When the term "heart attack" is mentioned, most people imagine a pudgy, middle-aged man drenched in sweat and clutching his chest. Few people seem to consider cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a woman's disease.
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women over age 25. It kills nearly twice as many women in the United States than all types of cancer, including breast cancer. Only 13 percent of women think heart disease is a threat to their health.
The misleading notion that heart disease is not a real problem for women can be blamed in part on medical research. For a very long time, heart disease studies have focused primarily on men. Changes are under way, but some still fail to recognize the warning signs displayed by females.
Warning Signs
Studies have shown that women have undiagnosed warning signs weeks, months, and even years before having a heart attack.
Significant differences exist in the symptoms displayed by women and men. Men typically experience the "classic" heart attack signs: tightness in the chest, arm pain, and shortness of breath. Women's symptoms include nausea, an overwhelming fatigue, and dizziness which are strikingly different and are often chalked up to stress.
Act In Time
Recognizing and treating a heart attack right away dramatically improves a patient's chance for survival. The typical American, however, waits 2 hours before calling for help.
Studies have shown that drugs that dissolve coronary blood clots during a heart attack can reduce the death rate in both men and women, although women have a higher risk of stroke from the therapy. Unfortunately, statistics show that a woman in the midst of having a heart attack receives clot-busting therapy much later than a man would.
Women coming into the hospital for a heart attack have a higher death rate and higher risk of complications. A premenopausal woman having a heart attack has twice the death rate of a similarly aged man, according to experts.
Know the warning signs and always call 911 within 5 minutes of the onset of symptoms. By acting quickly, a heart attack victim is less likely to experience cardiac arrest (where the heart stops beating).
Prevention
The American Heart Association has published guidelines regarding prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. Women are categorized based on their likelihood of experiencing a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke, death) in the next 10 years:
High risk -- the woman has a greater than 20% chance of an event in next 10 years. Examples of women at high risk include those with have a history of stroke, heart disease, vascular disease in legs, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.
Intermediate risk -- the woman has a 10 - 20% chance of event in next 10 years. Examples of women at intermediate risk include those with calcium in coronary arteries, metabolic syndrome, multiple heart risk factors, and women with family history of early heart disease.
Lower risk -- the woman has less than a 10% chance of event in next 10 years. Women at the lowest risk have none of the above-mentioned conditions and one or less risk factors for heart disease.
The guidelines recommend the following lifestyle changes:
• Do note smoke or use tobacco.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Women who need to lose or keep off weight should get at least 60 - 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days. To maintain your weight, get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, preferably at least 5 days a week.
• Women who recently had a heart attack, angina, angioplasty, or a stent procedure should join a cardiac rehabilitation program.
• Eat a healthy diet. The diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes, and sources of protein low in saturated fat.
• Watch your weight. Women should strive for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 and a waist smaller than 35 inches.
• Get checked and treatment, if necessary, for depression.
• High risk women should take omega-3 fatty acids supplements. Folic acid supplements may be considered in some high-risk women if a higher than normal level of homocysteine has been detected. (These should not be taken after coronary revascularization.)
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