What are the signs and symptoms of heart conditions (cardiovascular disease) in women and how do they differ to that in men?
Although heart conditions are seen as more of a problem for men, they are the most common cause of death for women annually as well. Men and women can share the same heart attack signs and symptoms (i.e. chest pain), however, women don’t particularly notice these symptoms as they feel more of a pressure than severe pain. Some symptoms of other heart conditions display differently in women, leading to late diagnosis and fatalities.
Why do women experience fewer heart disease symptoms than men?
This article on heart disease in women, explains that women experience blockages that occur in the smaller arteries that supply the heart with blood, not only blockages in the main arteries which are commonly seen in men. This blockage is called coronary microvascular disease or small vessel heart disease.
Another study expresses the protective role of estrogen explains that estrogen is the reason that there are fewer physical signs of heart problems in women, and is the reason that women have lower incidences of cardiovascular conditions than men. Estrogen and other female sex hormones have proven to be cardioprotective. This is reinforced by the fact that postmenopausal women (+/-50 years old) are the ones who suffer with more incidences and a higher severity of heart conditions than premenopausal women (under 50 years old). However, heart condition incidences in older women are still significantly lower than in men of the same age.
What are the signs of heart problems (cardiovascular disease) in a woman?
Unlike men, a woman does not experience the high and sharp pains that is usually associated with heart disease, leaving her unaware that there is a problem until she has a serious heart attack. There are however, a few early signs of heart disease that a woman should be aware of.
Common symptoms of a heart health issues that women may encounter (excluding chest pain) are:
- shortness of breath
- pain in both arms
- nausea or vomiting
- dizziness
- fatigue
- sweating
- indigestion (heartburn)
- weakness
- skin colour appearing more grey
- and pain or discomfort in the neck, shoulder, back or abdomen.
These symptoms often occur in women when resting, sleeping, or experiencing emotional stress more frequently than in men, who usually experience chest pains more while active or exercising. Unfortunately, these symptoms can seem rather vague and could be caused by other lifestyle or medical issues unrelated to heart disease, making it more difficult for a woman to notice if it is serious. It is because of this vagueness that women tend to wait longer to seek out medical care or diagnosis, leading to life threatening results.
Other heart disease symptoms in women
More severe symptoms can develop and worsen as specific heart conditions progress, potentially leading to:
- swellingin your legs, feet, or ankles
- weight gain
- sleep apnoea
- heart palpitations
- coughing and wheezing
- anxiety
- fainting
Although the symptoms of heart conditions may be different between men and women, the causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment methods are similar. The causes and prevention methods are closer linked to genetics, lifestyle choices and other medical conditions, while diagnosis and treatment methods vary according to the type of heart condition, and not according to the patients’ gender.
Causes of Heart Disease
What causes heart disease in women more than men:
- Emotional stress and depression – It is difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle when one is under stress or feeling depressed.
- Inactivity –Men tend to take part in physically demanding jobs and activities more regularly than women do.
- Menopause –Estrogen levels decrease post-menopause, no longer protecting the heart from developing smaller blood vessel diseases.
- Pregnancy complications –Pregnancy complications increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Other common lifestyle causes of heart conditions in both men and women:
- Being overweight or obese (having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more)
- Being 60 years old or over
- Smoking
Medical conditions that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in both men and women
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure (e.g. hypertension)
- Inflammatory diseases (arthritis and lupus)
- Hormone therapy
- Cancer
- Immobilization
- Postsurgical state
- Autoimmune conditions (e.g. HIV)
- Preeclampsia
- Breast arterial calcifications
Risks of heart disease
Having heart disease also puts you at risk of a number of other conditions and issues, including:
- heart attack
- stroke
- heart failure
- cardiac arrest
- aneurysm
Diagnosing heart disease
To diagnose heart disease, a doctor will
- ask about your personal and family medical history.
- ask about your symptoms and when they started.
- ask about your lifestyle, such as if you smoke or exercise.
- perform blood teststo determine your risk of heart disease.
Your doctor may order other tests, too. For example:
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Echocardiogram
- A stress test – to monitor how your heart handles physical stress.
- Coronary calcium score (using a CT scan)
- Ultrasound of carotid arteries in your neck
- Ankle brachial index
- Coronary computed tomography angiography (a specialized CT scan)
Preventative measure and lifestyle choices that may reduce the risk of heart conditions:
- Quit smoking.
- Eat a healthy diet –Avoid foods with saturated fats, cholesterol and too much salt. Saturated fats should make up less than 7% of total caloric intake, and a cholesterol intake of less than 200mg per day
- Exercise and maintain a healthy weight.
- Manage stress –Stress tightens arteries, increasing the risk of coronary microvascular disease and other heart diseases.
- Avoid or limit alcohol.
- Take blood pressure medications as prescribed.
- Get your blood pressure checked regularly.
- Get your cholesterol checked.
- Seek treatment if you suffer with sleep apnoea.
Treatment of heart conditions/disease
Depend on the type of heart disease you have; the treatment may include:
- Therapeutic and Lifestyle Treatment
In the case of early detection of low-risk heart conditions, you will need to make lifestyle changes very similar to the prevention measures. This includes quit smoking, reduce alcohol intake, maintain a healthy diet, exercise, stress management and weight management
- Medication
Your doctor may see it necessary to prescribe medications to help control more prominent cases of heart disease. Some common prescriptions include:
- Cholesterol-lowering medications
- (ACE) inhibitors
- (ARBs)
- Anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents
- Aspirin
- Beta-blockers
- Calcium channel blockers
- Nitrates
- Implants and surgery
In some cases, it may be necessary to get treatment through surgery. This includes:
- Cardiac stent
- Angioplasty (Percutaneous coronary intervention).
- Coronary bypass surgery –In more severe cases, involves open heart surgery
In conclusion, although men do carry the brunt of annual heart failure cases, women are still impacted, even though they carry different symptoms due to their cardioprotective estrogen levels. There is still a lot to learn in the field of the cardiovascular system. By doing research and taking online courses, we can move one step closer to understanding the human body, and how to protect it. Click here learn more about the Cardiovascular System and the physiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of specific heart conditions.