Although men tend to develop heart problems at a younger age than women, by 65 the risk of heart disease and heart attacks are pretty much the same for both sexes. Older women are much more likely to die from heart disease than from any type of cancer. Statistically, fewer women survive heart attacks than men, and in fact, younger, premenopausal women have twice the death rate from heart attacks as men in the same age group, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Risk Factors
The risk factors for heart disease include a family history of heart disease, age, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, having diabetes and smoking. Being overweight also puts extra pressure on your heart and circulatory system. Smoking, stress and depression appear to have more of a detrimental effect on women's hearts than on men's.
Having metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms that includes high blood pressure, high blood sure, high triglycerides (blood fats) and excess belly fat, puts women at higher risk of developing heart disease than men. African American and Hispanic/Latina women have a higher risk of developing heart disease because they tend to have higher rates of diabetes and are more often overweight.
When women reach menopause, and their levels of estrogen drop, they are at a higher risk than men of developing small vessel heart disease, which is blockage in the small arteries that lead to the heart.
Risk Reduction
While you can't change your age or family history of heart disease, there are other steps you can take to control the factors that put you at higher risk of heart disease and heart attack. Get to or maintain healthy weight by exercising for at least 30 minutes a day most days and eating a low saturated fat diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and high-fiber grain foods. Quit smoking. Control blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes with diet, exercise, and medications, if necessary.
If you have at least three of the risk factors for developing heart disease, have your doctor perform a cardiac stress test. This treadmill workout will show your doctor how well your heart performs during exercise, which will indicate whether enough blood and oxygen are getting to your heart.
Medications
When lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise and quitting smoking aren't enough to regulate your blood pressure, diabetes or blood levels of cholesterol, medications prescribed for these conditions and taken as directed will help reduce your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack.
Warning Signs
One of the first early signs of a heart attack may be pain, tightness and pressure in the chest that is intermittent or lasts more than a few minutes. The pain and pressure may spread to upper back, shoulders, neck, arms and even up into the jaw. Other early signs include nausea, dizziness, sweating, pale skin, stomach or abdominal pain, difficulty breathing and feelings of anxiety, weakness and fatigue.
A woman may experience all or just some of the common signs of an impending heart attack. Some women may not have any of these symptoms and this type of "silent" heart attack is later discovered when their doctor administers an electrocardiogram or blood test.
Supplemental Treatments
Daily aspirin therapy and omega-3 fatty acid supplements may help prevent strokes and first or second heart attacks in some women. Speak to your doctor to find out if these treatments are right for you and, if so, to discuss the appropriate dosage.
