Women have different heart attack symptoms than men, leading many women to miss their biggest health threat.
“Unfortunately, the perception still persists in this country that the most dangerous thing for women is breast cancer,” said Dr. Myung Park, a cardiologist and director of the pulmonary vascular diseases program at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “But women need to be attuned to their own risk of heart disease.”
Chest pain is often less evident, and women can experience a shortness of breath, nausea, exhaustion and back or jaw pain during a heart attack, Park said.
The National Institutes of Health estimates that 55 percent of women in 2005 recognized heart disease as the major killer of women, up from 34 percent in 2000. But a 2003 survey by the American Heart Association showed that 13 percent of women considered heart disease as their biggest personal risk.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women and does not start at a specific age.
To celebrate National Heart Month and National Women?s Heart Day, the Convention Center in Baltimore City will offer free screenings today until 3 p.m.
Women who have diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, smoke or are obese are generally more susceptible to heart disease, Park said.
The Heart Truth, a national heart disease awareness campaign for women, recommends that a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking can reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent.
