Graphic of a heart, stethoscope, and heart rate monitor.

UW Health: Heart disease a leading cause of death for women, despite perception that it primarily affects men

WisPolitics

In Wisconsin, Illinois and across the United States approximately 60 million women are affected by heart disease, even though it is often thought of as primarily impacting men.

In fact, one in five women dies of heart disease, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention data.

The perception that heart disease, specifically heart attacks, is an issue mainly affecting men has a long history in society that exists even in the medical community, according to Dr. Aga Silbert, cardiologist, UW Health, and clinical assistant professor of medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

“Early on, many clinical studies on heart disease excluded women which impacted the available data on the number of women with this condition,” she said. “Even in medical textbooks heart attack is illustrated by an image of a man clutching his chest.”

Most symptoms of heart disease or a heart attack are similar for women and men, including chest tightness, feeling weak and shortness of breath. A person could also break out into a cold sweat or have pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, one or both arms or shoulders. However, women might uniquely experience unusual or unexplained tiredness and nausea, according to the CDC. And, unlike men, women frequently do not get warning signs or symptoms prior to a heart attack, Silbert said. Read more …