“The community has viewed women health almost with a “bikini” approach, looking essentially at breast and reproductive system,ignoring the rest of the women as part of the women’s health ” Nannette Wagner, MD

Screening guidelines for cancers allows early recognition ,improving detection , treatment and cure. Women education about mammograms and pap smears led to improved survival. No definite screening guidelines exist for heart disease

For every women that dies from breast cancer there are six that die from heart disease

Younger women are twice as likely to die from a heart attack than younger men

There is higher mortality risk in younger vs. older women

Why heart disease is different in women 

• Smaller Heart Arteries

• Aspirin to prevent heart attack may have different benefits in women than men

• Atypical symptoms are more difficult  to  recognize

• Breast cancer therapy increases the risk of heart attack

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•Women are more likely to delay treatment in emergency care

•Metabolic syndrome is more common in women

•Heart tests lead to more false results in women than men

Different response to known therapy

 

Atypical symptoms in women

• 71% of women experience early warning signs of heart attack with atypical symptoms, sometimes flu-like symptoms, nausea, epigastric pain, and no Chest Pain

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• Nearly two-thirds of  deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain.

• Between the ages of 45 and 64, one in nine women has some form of heart disease

• • Above the age of 65 one in three women has some form of heart disease

• •Heart disease  may not be recognized and symptoms may be “blamed on aging”

 

Risk factors for Heart Disease. Common for men and women

•Men > 45, Women > 55 yrs

•Hypertension  > 140/90

•Diabetes

•High Cholesterol

“bad” LDL > 160

“good” HDL < 40 in men,< 50 women.

( HDL has protective effect if high)

•High Triglycerides > 150

•Family history of heart disease

•Smoking

•OSA Obstructive Sleep Apnea

•Metabolic syndrome

•“ CAD equivalent” ( Coronary Disease )

Carotid stenosis

Peripheral arterial disease

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

 

 

Specific Risk factors for Heart Disease only  in Women

• Anemia

• Early menopause

• Chronic Inflamatory states

• Polycystic ovary

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Lupus

• Kidney disease

• Thyroid disease

• Low bone density

• Cancer and history of radiation or chemotherapy

• Psychosocial factors

 

Where do we go from here?

Acknowledge

• High incidence of Heart Disease –   Nr 1 Killer in women 

• Atypical  symptoms in women 

• Challenges in diagnosis

• Worse outcome in women than men

Recognize

• Unique Risk factors in women

• The importance of Heart Disease  prevention

• Be knowledgeable and your own advocate