More women die unnecessarily from heart disease than from breast cancer or the next top five causes of death combined, according to Dr. Lynda Rosenfeld, who also happens to be my sister-in-law. An acknowledged expert on women's cardiovascular issues, Dr. Rosenfeld is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Yale University College of Medicine.
Why should women be discriminated against in the diagnosis of heart disease? Why do women have a worse prognosis than men, even after heart disease is discovered? What puts women at risk? What can be done?
We all need to understand more about the problem in relation to women, in order to improve the health of the special females in our lives.
What really puts women at risk
Women commonly either ignore or deny their own symptoms of heart disease or heart attacks. Traditionally caregivers, not care receivers, women tend to minimize concerns about themselves. Many recent medical studies have confirmed these findings, while also showing that delays in seeking treatment worsen disease and prognosis.
Furthermore, women rate their cardiac disease as less severe than men do, even after taking into account other measures of cardiac disease severity, according to an American Journal of Medicine article. Recognizing and admitting that one has a problem is the first—and perhaps the most important—step in stopping the heart disease discrimination against women.
Women are less likely than men to have the classic signs of angina or heart attack. Angina is a symptom often described as a "squeezing" or "heaviness" in the left side of the chest. Caused by hardening and narrowing of the arteries, angina reduces blood supply to the heart. Pain or discomfort in women may be located in the upper abdominal area and can be mistaken for heartburn or indigestion.
Women may also experience nausea, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, and arm or jaw pain. Or a woman may just "not feel well" in a non-specific way, and ignore these symptoms. The lack of classic symptoms combined with denial leads to delays in treatment, thus increasing a woman's chances of a fatal first episode.
Importantly, risk factors are not gender specific. Smoking, poorly controlled high blood pressure or diabetes, excessive weight, minimal exercise, high cholesterol, age and family history all contribute to the chances of anyone developing heart disease. We can all help each other by encouraging healthy life styles.
We can stop the catastrophe of women not recognizing they have heart disease. At the same time, we can improve everyone's health and well-being by understanding and controlling the risks of heart disease. Sharing these thoughts with the women you love are the best gifts you can give.