Heart attack in women

Heart disease may be considered by some to be more of a problem for men, however it's most common cause of death for both women and men. Because some heart disease symptoms in women can differ from those in men.

Heart disease risk factors for women

• Diabetes – women with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease that are men with diabetes
• Emotional stress and depression – it is more than men
• Smoking
• Inactivity
• Menopause – low level oestrogen after menopause increases the risk of developing disease in smaller blood vessels
• Pregnancy complication
• Family history of early heart disease
• Inflammatory disease - Rheumatoid arthritis, lungs and other inflammatory condition may increase risk of heart disease in both men and women.

Symptoms

The most common heart attack symptom in woman is the same as in men. Chest pain or pressure or discomfort that last more than a few minutes or comes & goes.

Diagnosis of Heart Attack in women

But chest pain is not always severe or over the most noticeable symptom, particularly in women. Woman describes heart attack pain as pressure or tightness and it's possible to have a heart attack without chest pain.

Women are more likely than men to have a heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain such as

• Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper abdomen discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in one or both arms
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating
• Lightheadness or dizziness
• Unusual fatigue
• Heart burn

Compared with men, women tend to have symptoms more often when resting or even when asleep. Emotional stress can play a role in triggering heart attack symptoms in women.