How Heart Disease Differs for Women

Heart disease has topped cause of death lists since the ‘50s. Men are twice as likely to die from heart disease as women, which can cause education about heart disease to be skewed toward the male patient population. However, heart disease can differ between men and women, and women need to know how this affects them specifically and how they can maintain heart health.

At West Houston Heart Center in Houston, Texas, Dr. Humayun Naqvi provides both interventional and preventative cardiology, including patient education about heart disease and how it affects different patient populations. Here’s what women need to know.

The many faces of heart disease

‘Heart disease’ is a broad term encompassing many different diseases, including: 

• Atherosclerosis, which is hardening of the arteries
• Arrhythmia, an abnormal heart rhythm
• Cardiomyopathy, which is caused by weakened heart muscles
• Congenital heart defects, usually due to the heart failing to fully develop  
• Coronary artery disease (CAD), due to buildup of plaque in the arteries
• Heart infections triggered by bacteria, parasites, or viruses

Heart disease left untreated can lead to complications or even be fatal. That’s why Dr. Naqvi wants women to know how certain things can increase their risk for heart disease and how the signs of heart attack are different between women and men.

Conditions that increase risk of heart disease in women

Women are prone to many conditions that increase their risk of heart disease, including:

• Smaller blood vessels in hearts with thinner muscle walls 
• Lowered estrogen due to aging 
• Autoimmune diseases
• Inflammatory diseases
• Endometriosis 
• Metabolic syndrome

Women can also have similar health issues to men, but the amount these conditions raise their risk of heart disease is greater. Women who smoke, have high blood pressure or cholesterol, or who are diabetic have increased risk compared to men with these same conditions. If you’re noticing that you check any of these boxes, it’s time for a heart check-up.

Signs of heart attack in women

Men experiencing a heart attack are often portrayed as having sudden pain in their left arm, then their chest. However, women can have many more subtle signs of an impending heart attack, including:

• Fatigue and trouble sleeping for days or weeks prior to a heart attack
• Lightheadedness and/or shortness of breath 
• Pain that feels like gas or heartburn
• Increased levels of anxiety
• Pain in the jaw, throat, upper back, or shoulder, progressing to the chest 

If you’ve experienced any of the following, you should have your heart checked out. You might be able to save yourself from a heart attack.

For more information on how to prevent heart disease and heart attack, call us at 832-400-3947 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Naqvi, or request an appointment using our online system.