Women's Top Cause Of Death
When you see a heart attack on TV, it's often a man, clutching his chest, who then falls to the floor. In reality, however, the symptoms are not this dramatic. And, more often than not, the victim is not male.
According to the American Heart Association, one of every two women will die from heart disease. The number of men dying from heart disease has fallen in recent years thanks to better diagnosis and treatment. However, the number of women who die has increased to over 500,000 a year. Currently there are 6.4 million women living in the U.S who have been diagnosed with heart disease.
Unfortunately, Dr. Sharonne Hayes, Director of the Mayo Clinic Women's Heart Clinic says most women don't recognize heart disease as a serious concern.
Studies show that few women identify heart disease as their top cause of death. Significantly more women fear breast cancer over heart disease. Yet more women die from heart disease each year than from all cancers combined.
Dr. Hayes says there is no simple explanation for this misconception. And women are not alone in their ignorance. A recent survey authored by Dr. Hayes, found doctors often miss the symptoms of heart disease in women as well.
According to another study, published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, doctors fail to be aggressive in their treatment of women with heart disease. They are less likely to prescribe medication such as drugs to lower blood pressure or reduce cholesterol for women patients.
"If you look at any study related to heart disease," Hayes says, "Women always get less than men ... the only good reason is habit."
Dr. Hayes notes doctors are trained to look for patterns, not cardiac problems in women. And to make matters worse, studies have found that women usually wait longer than men to seek treatment once they begin having symptoms.
"Women need to know that most people don't have Hollywood heart attacks (a middle-aged man clutching his chest and falling to the floor)…they have subtle and stuttering symptoms. It does not have to be the worst pain in your life," Hayes says and encourages women not to wait to seek help.
Just as with men, the most common problem is coronary heart disease. It's most likely to strike post-menopausal women, although there are signs that a growing number of younger women are being affected.
Women most at risk are those with a family history of heart disease, who lead a sedentary lifestyle or are obese. Those who smoke are at a heightened risk - it increases the risk of heart attack in women more dramatically than in men.
A woman having a heart attack may have the same classic symptoms as a man: chest pain, pain in other parts of the upper body and shortness of breath. But women are more likely than men to have subtle symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, dizziness or stomach pain.
Prevention, of course, is key. Hayes says that you must know yourself and your body. If you aren't feeling well and your doctor dismisses it, trust your instincts and get a second opinion.
"The other thing to keep in mind is that you want to believe you're OK," Hayes said. Here are her suggestions:
Trust your instincts - Don't allow yourself to believe a doctor just because that's what you want to hear.
Quit smoking and increase your exercise
Know your numbers - It's important to know your cholesterol level and blood pressure and what the numbers mean.
Eat variety of foods - "There's no single food that's going to save your life or kill you - eat a wide variety," Hayes says.
Finally, women need to know that they may require different diagnostic tests than men. For instance, the standard stress test is not as accurate for women. At the very least, their test results must be interpreted differently than men. A patient should address this with her physician.
"It's not rocket science but you must be aware," Hayes says.