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L i v e Yo u n g e r L o n g e r
There might still be inequality between
men and women, but one area where
women are leading in record numbers:
heart disease. It’s the No. 1 killer
of women and is more deadly
than all forms of cancer.
Heart
Disease:
Men
vs.
Women
Women’s Hearts Are
Different From Men’s
The fact is women have smaller hearts and
smaller arteries than men. Researchers believe
that women also have a different intrinsic rhythm
to the pace of their hearts, which causes them to
beat faster. Some surgeons also hypothesize that
the fact that women have a 50 percent greater
chance of dying during heart surgery than men
could be related to some fundamental difference
in the way women’s hearts work.
Heart Attack Symptoms
Are Different in Women
Many women don’t experience the crushing chest
pain that is a classic symptom of a heart attack
in men. Sweating. Pressure. Nausea. Jaw pain.
Believe it or not, these are the symptoms of a
heart attack in women. Other symptoms include:
•
Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing,
fullness or pain in the center of your
chest that lasts more than a few
minutes or goes away and comes back.
•
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms,
the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
•
Shortness of breath, with or without
chest discomfort.
•
Nausea, lightheadedness, or breaking
out in a cold sweat.
Monica Divakaruni, MD
Interventional Cardiologist and Medical
Director, St. Helena Women’s Heart Center
Awareness about heart health
among women is sorely
lacking, and women die every
day because of this oversight.
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