What You Need to Know for Better Health
Most women believe that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women. What they don’t know is that heart disease – which affects nearly 8 million American women and is the cause of death for one in three American females – is actually the biggest threat to their health. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women over the age of 25, claiming the lives of more women than all forms of cancer combined.
Women Develop Heart Disease Later
Heart disease is seen as a problem faced primarily by men, even though the truth is that since 1984 more women than men have died from cardiovascular disease.
The risk for developing heart disease increases as a woman ages, because younger women are protected by estrogen. Production of this hormone, though, declines after menopause, greatly increasing the risk for heart attack and stroke. In fact, by the age of 65, men and women are almost equally at risk.
Standard Tests Tweaked for Women
Research shows that heart disease is a big problem for both sexes. Despite its deadly potential, however, women often do not benefit from diagnostic testing for heart disease as much as men do.
Though they are rapidly improving, diagnostic tests for cardiovascular disease didn’t used to be as reliable in women as in men. One reason for this is that women are more likely to have heart disease confined to one vessel, whereas men often experience more than one clogged vessel, which shows up more easily on an exercise ECG – the standard test used in diagnosis. When evaluating these tests, it is important that the physician takes into account the difference in heart size between men and women. Other tests, like heart imaging technology and nuclear imaging can be used in conjunction with exercise ECG to more accurately diagnose heart disease in women.
Specialized Care is Critical
Classic symptoms of heart attack are pain in the chest and left arm. Women, however, often experience nausea, vomiting, jaw pain, back pain and shortness of breath when having a heart attack. Because these symptoms are not typical signs, many women will not seek immediate treatment for them. Physicians also may not recognize these signs as symptoms of heart attack. That is, unless he or she is specially trained to be on the lookout for the subtle symptoms that are experienced by women with cardiovascular disease.
Also, women who undergo procedures for heart disease, such as bypass surgery, stents and valve repair, have higher rates of complications than men undergoing the same procedure. Having a surgeon who is uniquely trained in women’s heart health can lower the risk.
At Cleveland Clinic’s Women’s Cardiovascular Center, women can get comprehensive heart care from specialists who specialize in women’s heart health and preventive care. For more information, visit clevelandclinic.org/heart/women. To schedule an appointment in the Women’s Cardiovascular Center, call 800.884.9551. If calling from outside the United States, call 001.631.439.1578. To listen to podcasts on heart health, visit Be Well.
