Women’s Heart Disease Symptoms – Part 2

The most common woman heart disease symptom reported in a multi-center study published in Circulation 2003 was unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath and anxiety.

According to the American Heart Association there are several possibilities why there is a difference in health care between men and women. Because women are diagnosed with heart disease at an average of 10 years later than men some chronic conditions such as arthritis and diabetes will affect the way in which heart disease can be treated, sometimes limiting the treatment options. These conditions also change the way in which heart disease is presented and thus delaying the diagnosis of the condition.

Interestingly, because most research was done on men for many years the predictive value of specific tests may also not be accurate. For instance the standard exercise stress test isn’t as accurate on women as it is on men.

Symptoms of heart disease in women may be more atypical and therefore both women and their doctors should be aware of the possibility of heart disease and treat unusual symptoms appropriately. Heart disease can be life threatening and heart attacks should be treated within just 60-120 minutes after the first symptoms. This combination of atypical signs and immediate treatment options makes diagnosis and treatment more difficult in women than in men.

Resources:

MayoClinic: Heart Disease in Women

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/HB00040

Cleveland Clinic: Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/cad/cadsymptoms.aspx

National heart Lung and Blood Institute: What are the signs and symptoms of heart disease

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hdw/signs.html

American Heart Association: Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Heart-Attack-Symptoms-in-Women_UCM_436448_Article.jsp

Womens Health: Heart Disease Fact Sheet

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/heart-disease.html

Eth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Heart Disease- Differences Between Men and Women