American Heart Association Statistics:
- Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined
- Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute
- An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease
- Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease
- Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease
- The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood
- While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease
- Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat
- Women comprise only 24 percent of participants in all heart-related studies
Risk Factors:
High blood pressure- High cholesterol
- Diabetes and prediabetes
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Family history of early heart disease
- History of preeclampsia during pregnancy
- Unhealthy diet
- Age (55 + for women)
Know the signs:
- Pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest
- Pain in one or both arms, back, neck, or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweats
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Women can have more of the atypical signs rather than frank chest pain
Direct Medical Care 