All that women need to know regarding heart disease

Heart disease is more responsible for death in women compared to all cancers combined. Many women do not pay attention to their risk for heart problems. Heart disease accounts for death of one woman in four in the United States. And breast cancer kills one in 30.

According to the American Heart Association, women age 45 and older are more likely to die than men within a year of their first heart attack. There are many factors, which are thought to be responsible together with hormones, particularly estrogen, which is reduced after menopause when heart risks increase. A smaller heart size could lead to increased vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases. This is because main parts of the muscle become weaker over time.

There are also differences between the sexes in the symptoms associated with heart disease. Men and women both experience chest pain and break out in a cold sweat, when they suffer from a heart attack. However, more subtle symptoms could appear in women months before a cardiac problem.

The symptoms include pain, fatigue or weakness, pressure or tightness in the center of the chest, pain between the shoulder blades, pain that spreads to the upper body, neck or jaw, unusual sweating, sudden dizziness, nausea or vomiting and sleeping problems.

According to Christina Adams, MD, a cardiologist with Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, “Women can start by building their diet around foods that keep ‘good’ HDL cholesterol high and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol low, and by checking cholesterol levels as recommended by your doctor. Regular exercise also helps to lower LDL cholesterol and strengthen your heart”.