In addition, some risk factors are specific to women, including: Heart attack can occur at any age, but the risk increases over time, starting at age 45 for men and 50 for women A diet high in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol.Excessive alcohol use (more than one drink a day for women, 2 for men).Tobacco use, including exposure to second hand smoke.Elevated levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.It’s critical to assess and understand your risk. When it comes to women’s heart disease, lack of awareness of risk factors is a risk factor in itself. Within five years, 47% of women who have suffered a heart attack will die, develop heart failure, or suffer from a stroke, compared to 36% of men. Post-heart attack, women’s rates of heart failure and stroke are also higher. Recent studies found that, compared to men, women have a 20% increased risk of developing heart failure or dying within five years after their first severe heart attack. Sadly, ignoring heart attack symptoms can have dire consequences. Younger women who exercise, have healthy eating habits, and are not overweight may not even consider that they could have had a heart attack. A woman may minimize her symptoms or rationalize them away as fatigue, heartburn, or muscle pain. The median time it takes women to see a doctor after experiencing a heart attack is 54 hours, vs. (While the above symptoms are more common in women, they can sometimes occur in men as well and should not be ignored, regardless of a person’s sex.) Denial Can Be Deadly Heart attacks generally manifest through chest pain and tightness in men. Left untreated, the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen and starts to die. A heart attack is caused by a blockage of the coronary arteries. This is when the heart stops pumping blood, and breathing is interrupted. The Hollywood heart attack, in which an actor dramatically clutches his chest and hits the ground, is a cardiac arrest. It is important to understand the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest. Women’s heart attack symptoms are often more subtle, and women may not even realize they are having a heart attack. There are several reasons for these somber statistics. This translates to one in three female deaths, or approximately one woman every minute. Heart disease is the leading killer of U.S. A woman may not even realize she has had a heart attack until months later, when her physician diagnoses scarring and damage to the heart, putting her at risk for additional heart attacks or heart failure. A silent heart attack may have confusing or unrecognized symptoms, minimal symptoms, or even no symptoms at all. As a result, women may shrug off their symptoms when having a “silent heart attack,” also known as silent ischemia. What do food poisoning, panic attacks, acid reflux, asthma, muscle strain, fatigue, and flu have in common? In women, they may be an indication of a heart attack. Women and Heart Disease: Knowledge to Take to Heartīy Ines Sherifi, MD, MSc and Rebecca Pease, RN
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