Question 35 of 433
Is heart disease different in women?
The short answer
Yes. It is the number one killer of women, it tends to show up later and with different symptoms, and it is still missed too often.
Chest discomfort remains a common heart-attack symptom in both women and men. Women may also report breathlessness, nausea, jaw or back discomfort, or unusual fatigue. Those symptoms must not be dismissed because they do not match a stereotype. Risk climbs sharply after menopause. And a woman’s history carries clues that most doctors never ask about: preeclampsia, diabetes during pregnancy, early menopause, and autoimmune disease all raise later heart risk.
If you are a woman, your heart checkup should begin with your pregnancy history. I wrote a whole book, A Woman’s Heart, because this deserves more than a paragraph.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
ESTABLISHED CLINICAL / OBSERVATIONAL — Women: symptoms and reproductive risk markers; chest discomfort remains common.Evidence grade (draft mapping)EEstablished clinical knowledgePart 3, Q35 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.