Heart Disease: A Look at the Leading Killer of Women

Women tend to think they are less at risk for heart disease than men are and therefore they are less likely to think they are having a heart attack. However, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women over 65. It kills more women than all cancers combined including breast cancer. By age 65 a woman's risk is almost the same as a man's.

Compared with men 38% of women and 25% of men will die within one year of a recognized heart attack. Women are almost twice as likely as men to die after bypass surgery. Women are less likely than men to receive beta-blockers, inhibitors, or even aspirin after a heart attack. More women than men die of heart disease each year. Only 25% of participants in all heart related studies are comprised of women.

It would seem that a combination of lack of awareness among women and the medical community is contributing to women's death rates from heart disease. One reason for the higher mortality rates, though, may be because women are about 10 years older than men are when they have their first heart attack.

The following are signs of a heart attack.

? Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest
? Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body-arms, back, neck, jaw, stomach
? Shortness of breath, breaking out in cold sweat, nausea, or light headedness

Even with what would seem to be very clear signs of heart attack, women are less likely to seek medical attention. They are also more likely than men to have the less obvious symptoms, especially shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, back of jaw pain.

Women especially at risk:

? The age-adjusted rate of heart disease for African American women is 72% higher than that for white women
? Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking women
? Women with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have heart attacks.
? High blood pressure is a contributing factor as is high cholesterol
? Obesity adds to the risk and combines with other risk factors

Preventive measures have been drummed into our heads and many people have heard them and follow them. The single most important thing a woman can do for herself is to quit smoking. Smoking not only increases the risk of heart attack by 50%; it also puts a woman at great risk for lung cancer. In fact, many more women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.

Controlling blood pressure is very important. This may be done by losing weight, exercising, and following a healthy diet with no more than 30% fats. If these don't work well enough, a doctor can prescribe medications to lower blood pressure. She may also suggest daily aspirin.

Lowering cholesterol through diet and exercise is important. If diet and exercise is not enough, the doctor will probably prescribe a statin. This class of medications has shown heart attack prevention properties above and beyond its ability to lower cholesterol.

If she has diabetes, it is very important for the woman to strictly control it as women with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack.

Obesity should be brought under control through diet and exercise or even surgery. Obesity puts an extra strain on the heart muscle and contributes to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.