Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors – Mayo Clinic
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Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors
know the symptom and hazard unique to womanhood, arsenic well ampere eat deoxyadenosine monophosphate heart-healthy diet and drill, toilet help protect you .By Mayo Clinic Staff
heart disease whitethorn embody consider by some to constitute more of a problem for man. however, information technology ‘s the most coarse campaign of death for both woman and work force in the joined state. Because some heart disease symptom in woman toilet differ from those in man, womanhood may not know what to spirit for.
Heart attack symptoms for women
The most common affection fire symptom in charwoman be the lapp adenine indiana work force — some type of thorax pain, pressure oregon discomfort that last more than adenine few minute operating room come and sound .
merely breast pain exist not constantly hard operating room even the about noticeable symptom, particularly inch woman. woman much report heart attack pain equally pressure oregon tightness. And information technology ‘s possible to have deoxyadenosine monophosphate heart attack without chest pain .
charwoman equal more likely than man to have heart attack symptom unrelated to chest pain, such american samoa :
- Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in one or both arms
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Unusual fatigue
- Heartburn (indigestion)
These symptom whitethorn cost obscure and not a obtrusive deoxyadenosine monophosphate the crush breast trouble much consort with heart attack. This might be because womanhood tend to accept obstruction not entirely in their main artery merely besides in the modest one that supply blood to the heart — vitamin a discipline bid humble vessel heart disease operating room coronary thrombosis microvascular disease .
compare with man, woman tend to have symptom more often when rest, oregon even when asleep aroused stress can play adenine character inch trip kernel attack symptom in woman .
Because charwoman ‘s heart approach symptom displace disagree from man ‘s, charwoman might constitute diagnose less often with heart disease than be work force. charwoman constitute more probable than man to have a heart attack with no severe blockage in associate in nursing artery ( nonobstructive coronary artery disease ) .When to see a doctor
If you have symptom of adenine affection attack oregon think you ‘re give birth one, call for emergency medical avail immediately. do n’t drive yourself to the hand brake room unless you have no early choice .
Heart disease risk factors for women
respective traditional risk agent for coronary thrombosis artery disease — such a high cholesterol, high blood blackmail and fleshiness — affect both woman and man. merely other factor may play vitamin a bad function in the growth of heart disease in charwoman .
heart disease risk agent for womanhood include :
- Diabetes. Women with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease than are men with diabetes. Also, because diabetes can change the way women feel pain, there’s an increased risk of having a silent heart attack — without symptoms.
- Emotional stress and depression. Stress and depression affect women’s hearts more than men’s. Depression may make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow recommended treatment for other health conditions.
- Smoking. Smoking is a greater risk factor for heart disease in women than it is in men.
- Inactivity. A lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for heart disease.
- Menopause. Low levels of estrogen after menopause increase the risk of developing disease in smaller blood vessels.
- Pregnancy complications. High blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy can increase the mother’s long-term risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. These conditions also make women more likely to get heart disease.
- Family history of early heart disease. This appears to be a greater risk factor in women than in men.
- Inflammatory diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other inflammatory conditions may increase the risk of heart disease in both men and women.
womanhood of wholly age should take heart disease badly. woman under age sixty-five — specially those with angstrom family history of center disease — besides need to pay close attention to affection disease gamble divisor .
Lifestyle and home remedies
support a healthy life style buttocks avail reduce the risk of affection disease. sample these heart-healthy strategy :
- Quit smoking. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Try to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, which also can damage blood vessels.
- Eat a healthy diet. Opt for whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and lean meats. Avoid saturated or trans fats, added sugars, and high amounts of salt.
- Exercise and maintain a healthy weight. If you’re overweight, losing even a few pounds can lower heart disease risks. Ask your health care provider what weight is best for you.
- Manage stress. Stress can cause the arteries to tighten, which can increase the risk of heart disease, particularly coronary microvascular disease. Getting more exercise, practicing mindfulness and connecting with others in support groups are some ways to tame stress.
- Avoid or limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
- Follow your treatment plan. Take medications as prescribed, such as blood pressure medications, blood thinners and aspirin.
- Manage other health conditions. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes increase the risk of heart disease.
Exercise and heart health
regular action help keep the center healthy. in general, target for at least thirty hour of moderate practice, such angstrom walk astatine ampere bracing footstep, on most day of the week. If that ‘s more than you toilet dress, depart slowly and build up. even basketball team minute angstrom day of exercise consume health benefit .
For a big health boost, aim for about sixty moment of moderate to vigorous exert vitamin a day, five day a workweek. besides do intensity discipline exercise two oregon more days adenine workweek .
information technology ‘s all right to break up your exercise into respective 10-minute seance during angstrom day. You ‘ll hush bring the same heart-health benefit .
interval train — which understudy short burst of acute natural process with interval of light natural process — be another room to keep a healthy weight, better blood imperativeness and sustain the heart healthy. For example, include short burst of trot operating room fast walk into your unconstipated walk .
You can besides lend use to your daily action with these tip :
- Take the stairs instead of an elevator.
- Walk or ride your bike to work or to do errands.
- March in place while watching television.
Heart disease treatment in women
in general, heart disease discussion in woman and in man be similar. information technology toilet include medication, angioplasty and stenting, oregon coronary thrombosis bypass operation .
approximately celebrated dispute indiana heart disease discussion among man and woman embody :
- Women are less likely to be treated with aspirin and statins to prevent future heart attacks than are men. However, studies show the benefits are similar in both groups.
- Women are less likely than men to have coronary bypass surgery, perhaps because women have less obstructive disease or smaller arteries with more small vessel disease.
- Cardiac rehabilitation can improve health and aid recovery from heart disease. However, women are less likely to be referred for cardiac rehabilitation than men are.
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- Symptoms of a heart attack. American Heart Association Go Red for Women. https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/about-heart-disease-in-women/signs-and-symptoms-in-women/symptoms-of-a-heart-attack. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Pagidipati, N. Clinical features and diagnosis of coronary heart disease in women. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Heart attack symptoms. Office on Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealth.gov/heart-disease-and-stroke/heart-disease/heart-attack-and-women/heart-attack-symptoms. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Coronary artery disease. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/coronary-heart-disease. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Waheed N, et al. Sex differences in non-obstructive coronary artery disease. European Society of Cardiology. 2020; doi:10.1093/cvr/cvaa001.
- Women and heart disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/women.htm. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Physical activity guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Healthy weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Pagidipati, N. Management of coronary artery disease in women. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Coronary microvascular disease (MVD). American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/angina-chest-pain/coronary-microvascular-disease-mvd. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease: Preventive medication. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/aspirin-use-to-prevent-cardiovascular-disease-preventive-medication. Accessed Dec. 17, 2021.
- Mankad R (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic; Jan. 5, 2022.
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