When I ask my menopause patients if they know the symptoms of a heart attack, the answer is usually, “No,” or they think of crushing chest pain. But chest pain or pain going down one or both arms is much more common in men than in women.
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death among women in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, there are 80 million patients living with heart disease and 52% are female. Similarly, of the 864,500 people who died from heart disease, 52% were women. It’s important to know the symptoms because someone has a heart attack every 30 seconds in the United States. If you think you or someone you’re with is having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately.
The signs of a heart attack in women are very general and can easily be missed. Women often don’t even go to the doctor. That’s why women are more likely than men to die from a heart attack. Menopausal women with high estrogen levels are at slightly higher risk. Do you know the symptoms of a heart attack in women? Listen to the video below.
For more information on heart attacks and tips on other medical emergencies, read Save Your Life, What to do in a Medical Emergency.
