What Makes Women Different?

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  • Chest pains in women are often attributed to causes other than coronary heart disease.


  • Both women and men may suffer "classic" symptoms for a heart attack involving pain in the chest that spreads to the shoulders, neck, or arms.


  • Women sometimes have atypical chest pain, or abdominal pain and nausea, difficulty breathing or fatigue as the early symptoms of a heart attack. These atypical symptoms make it more difficult to diagnose.


  • Women tend to have heart attacks later in life than men. Advanced age may explain the greater mortality rate of women from heart attacks.


  • Some diagnostic tests, such as the exercise stress test, may not be as accurate in women. This may delay detection of the disease until it is advanced.


  • Single-vessel heart disease is more common in women and is not as readily picked up on a routine stress test (ECG).
Learn How to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease through Lifestyle Changes
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Know Your Risk Factors:
  • High Blood Pressure


  • Cigarette Smoking


  • Diabetes


  • Sedentary lifestyle


  • High cholesterol


  • Obesity
Unusual Fatigue May Be Sign Of Heart Attack In Women
Researchers find early symptoms could warn women before heart attack happens.
Read more about Women and Heart Disease

Find out more about the effects of hypertension, cholesteral, pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy and other factors on women's heart health.

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