Heart Attack Signs: What’s Different for Women

For most of us, the go-to image of a heart attack is a man, hunched over in debilitating pain, clutching his chest. It’s understandable. After all, that’s how they’ve been portrayed for years. But the truth is that heart disease isn’t a problem just for men. It’s also the No. 1 cause of death for women in the United States. It’s also a myth that symptoms are the same for everyone. In fact, for women in particular, signs can be more subtle and mimic symptoms that point to other—and often less serious—health conditions.

Since it’s common for women not to realize they’re even having a heart attack, it’s crucial to recognize the signs, so you can get the quick treatment you need, says Maleeha Haq, MD, a cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology specialist at AdventHealth Pepin Heart Institute. Here, she explains what every woman needs to know.

What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack is one of the most common heart disease-related problems: Roughly 805,000 Americans experience one every year. These events happen when blockages prevent enough oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart.

“Heart attack symptoms develop when the heart doesn’t receive enough blood flow because there’s a blockage in the arteries,” Dr. Haq says. “Usually, the blockage is from plaque that slowly builds up or plaque that’s broken apart to create an obstruction in the blood vessel.”

Heart Disease is Common in Women

More than 60 million women in the United States have some form of heart disease that can lead to a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, heart disease is the most common health condition women experience, even more common than breast cancer.

It’s also important to note that women with diabetes are twice as likely to have a heart attack as women without the condition. And, on average, women who smoke have heart attacks 19 years earlier than non-smoking women.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease in Women

Heart disease is the most common health condition women experience, even more common than breast cancer. Some heart disease risk factors are the same for women and men. These include:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High cholesterol
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Stress

According to Dr. Haq, though, women face several additional risk factors that are linked to pregnancy and menopause. Pregnancy complications, like gestational diabetes or premature labor, can cause chronic high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes or stroke. Women experience similar problems during menopause.

“The risk factors for heart disease in women increase during these times in their lives,” she says. “They’re at higher risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. These individual factors significantly boost the chances of developing heart disease. Even treatments like hormone replacement therapy that help manage menopause symptoms could make a woman more vulnerable.”

Symptoms of Heart Attack in Women

“The typical textbook symptoms of chest pain, like an elephant sitting on their chest or pain going up into the jaw, are classic descriptions of heart attack symptoms,” Dr. Haq says. “But that doesn’t describe every heart attack.”

It’s true that chest pain and chest discomfort are common signs. But they don’t appear in all women. Instead, many women experience only subtle signs that can be mistaken for other, less dangerous problems like acid reflux or heartburn.

“Don’t make chest pain or discomfort your litmus test. You can have a heart attack without those signs,” Dr. Haq says. “Things like back pain, difficulty breathing and indigestion are far more likely for a heart attack in women.”

Other common heart attack symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Cold sweats
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Jaw pain
• Nausea
• Pain and numbness on the right side of the chest and arms
• Vomiting

How symptoms appear also matters. For example, if you experience mild pain that goes away quickly or have discomfort that only occurs with a specific activity, you’re likely not having a heart attack. But lingering chest pain or pain that appears with shortness of breath requires emergency attention.

Steps to Prevent Heart Disease in Women

Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attack. Dr. Haq says these steps can also improve the effectiveness of any necessary treatment. To help prevent a heart attack, he recommends:

• Adopting a heart-healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet
• Checking blood pressure frequently (under 130/80 is healthy)
• Exercising several times a week (at least 150 minutes) and reaching your target heart rate

Paying Attention to Your Heart

Understanding your risk of heart attack and how symptoms may appear is vital, Dr. Haq says. The expert cardiology team at AdventHealth Pepin Heart Institute takes a whole-person approach to help you avoid a heart attack and boost your long-term health. From advanced screenings to medication management to sophisticated, minimally invasive procedures, our cardiovascular specialists deliver comprehensive heart attack care.

Take control of your heart health and schedule an appointment to discuss any cardiovascular symptoms.