Heart attacks look different in women

February is Heart Health Month.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming more than 650,000 lives each year. The good news is thanks to research and innovations in medical care, improved diagnosis, prevention and treatment have made the chances of surviving a heart attack much better than before.

Yet a gender gap remains. While men are more likely to develop heart disease, women are less likely to survive a heart attack, according to research reported by Harvard Medical School.

Why are women different?

One reason is that heart attack symptoms vary. For women especially, heart attack symptoms can be subtler, perhaps not the classic sudden grip in the chest with referring pain down the arm. While both men and women often have chest pain, women are much more likely to have less common symptoms such as persistent indigestion or nausea, shortness of breath and back pain, sometimes even in the absence of obvious chest discomfort, according to Johns Hopkins Columbia Heart Failure Clinic.

During or after a heart attack women often report feeling “off,” not right somehow. Such a murky experience leads fewer women to seek treatment than men, or if they do, they are less likely to be taken seriously. Both doctors and patients are thus more likely to dismiss the symptoms, assuming it’ll just go away.

What are common risk factors?

Traditional risk factors common to both women and men include:

· Obesity

· Smoking

· Diabetes

· High blood pressure

· Family history

· Metabolic syndrome — the co-existence of high blood pressure, obesity and high glucose and triglyceride levels.

· High levels of C-reactive protein — a sign of inflammatory disease that can occur along with other cardiovascular risk factors.

Plus additional risks for women:

· Relatively high testosterone levels prior to menopause

· Increasing hypertension during menopause

· Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (more common in women than in men)

· Stress and depression

How to lessen risk:

· Don’t smoke

· Stick to a healthy, high-fiber diet low in saturated fat, red meats, sugar, and processed foods, and high in vegetables and healthy fats such as fish.

· Exercise at least four times a week for 30 minutes to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, risk of diabetes, weight and stress.

· Ask a qualified physician about cardiovascular screening and keep track of cholesterol levels.

For more information, see the American Heart Association site Heart.org.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email Sholeh@cdapress.com.