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What Women Need to Know About Heart Attacks

31 January 2023
Mature elderly woman feeling heart pain, touching chest with both hands. Thankful senior lady expressing gratitude, love, trust, thanking god, making grateful honor kindness gesture. Close up

By: Jamie Kaun

If you were asked to envision someone having a heart attack, what comes to mind? For many, it’s likely a person (often a man) gasping and clutching their chest as they fall. And while chest pain is a classic heart attack symptom, it’s not the most common one for women.

While it’s a good idea anytime to understand risk factors and the symptoms of heart disease, February has been designated American Heart Month. The first Friday (February 3, 2023) is National Go Red for Women Day (wear red clothing) to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Heart issues are also at the forefront of many people’s minds with NFL player Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest (which is different than a heart attack) last month during a game and Lisa Marie Presley’s cardiac arrest and death just a few weeks ago.

Heart disease is often thought of as a “man’s disease” but it is the number one killer of women in the United States, killing more women yearly than all forms of cancer combined. Although one in three women die from cardiovascular disease, women are underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trials and often present with different heart attack symptoms than men, such as gastric upset which Lisa Marie Presley reportedly was experiencing just before her cardiac arrest.

Although women can experience chest pain during a heart attack, in addition to gastric upset they may also experience:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fatigue
  • Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck or jaw

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately and get to a hospital right away.

Regardless if you’re a man or a woman, there are several risk factors you can control or treat to reduce your chance of heart disease:

  • Check your blood pressure regularly – high blood pressure often has no symptoms and can lead to heart disease
  • Avoid tobacco smoke and excessive alcohol consumption
  • Eat food low in cholesterol and saturated fats
  • Be physically active and maintain a healthy weight
  • Get regular medical exams
  • Get enough sleep

The Dayton YMCA has many health and wellness programs  and fitness classes that can help you decrease your risk factors for a heart attack. In addition, you can sign up for CPR classes that teach valuable life-saving skills. The quick-thinking action of the NFL trainer who administered CPR on the field to Hamlin helped save his life.

It’s never too late to incorporate the lifestyle factors above to keep your heart healthy.