Are You At Risk?
Did you know?
- heart disease kills more people than all cancers combined
- more women than men die from a first heart attack
- women are less likely to get the treatment they need for heart disease
- women of color are at higher risk of developing heart disease and receiving inadequate treatment than Caucasian women
- women may have different symptoms than men and may not recognize a cardiac problem when it occurs
Women, as we age, are as likely as men to develop heart disease. Unfortunately, most of the medical information is based on studies done primarily on men. Treatment options are based on how men respond to them but women often do not have the same response as men to treatment. We are not just smaller versions of men. We are very different physiologically and therefore may find that treatment options don’t work for us the same way.
Women are also more likely to die from their first heart attack than men are. This is for a few reasons. First, the symptoms may be vague or may resemble another condition like indigestion, stress, fatigue, to name a few. Studies show that many women who suffer heart attacks had no prior symptoms.
Minority women are at even higher risk than Caucasian women, also for a few reasons. If they live in an economically challenged environment, they may have little to no access to quality healthcare. If they are the sole caregiver to their family, they may ignore symptoms until it’s too late. Their risk factors are often higher also due to cultural norms such as traditional food choices and larger body types.