Women And Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in American women. In fact, heart disease will claim more American women’s lives than all forms of cancer combined, including breast cancer. Because heart disease affects so many women, it’s important for women to be informed about heart disease prevention.Heart disease can be more insidious for women than men. It often does not show itself with the classic sign of crushing chest pain. Oftentimes a woman with early heart disease will notice she feels tired, experiences heart palpitations, feels a little tightness in her chest from time to time and experience periods of nausea.

It’s important for women to watch for the precursors of heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. Women with these conditions are more likely to develop heart disease than healthy women who do not have these conditions.Some risk factors cannot be controlled. Older women run a higher risk than younger women. Heredity also contributes to the problem. All women can help one another by encouraging each other to get annual physicals and to talk honestly with their doctors about any concerning symptoms.