Coronary artery disease, characterized by blockages in blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood, accounts for 1 in 3 deaths of women each year in the United States. This disease is often associated with men despite these numbers; perhaps because women often experience it 10 years after their male counterparts.
Symptoms and risk factors of coronary artery disease are often different in women than in men. Your Women’s Heart Wellness Program doctor is particularly attuned to these differences and identifying coronary artery disease when it’s most treatable and least disruptive to your health.
What is Coronary Artery Disease?
CAD, as this disease is often called, is the most common type of heart disease. If you have coronary artery disease, it’s likely the arteries that transport blood to your heart muscle have stiffened and narrowed after accumulating plaque buildup on their walls. This condition, atherosclerosis, slows the flow of blood to the heart.
What’s Different About Coronary Artery Disease in Women?
Here are a few differences:
Coronary Arteries
Women’s coronary arteries are smaller than men’s, complicating medical imaging (angiography and stress testing), procedures to treat CAD (angioplasty) and cases requiring surgery (coronary bypass).
Cholesterol Levels
Women develop CAD about 10 years later than men, perhaps related to menopause. Before menopause, estrogen increases a woman’s HDL (good) cholesterol and decreases her LDL (bad) cholesterol – diminishing chances of heart disease. Post-menopause, women typically have higher levels of cholesterol. A combination of low HDL and high LDL can contribute to a higher risk of coronary artery disease.
Diabetes
A woman with diabetes has a greater risk of heart disease than a man with diabetes. Women with diabetes can also have hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity – all increasing their risk of heart disease. Diabetes also can alter the way women experience pain, increasing the odds of having a heart attack that doesn’t show typical symptoms.
Mental Health: Stress and Depression
A women’s heart, more than a man’s, is affected by stress and depression.
Smoking
Smoking increases women’s risk of coronary artery disease more than it does men’s risk.
Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease in Women
Women with coronary artery disease often don’t know it. Many don’t even know when they’re having a heart attack.
Here are some signs of heart disease:
Chest discomfort caused by lack of oxygen caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. You might feel pressure or tightness, a squeezing or maybe a sensation of heaviness. Physical exertion, extreme temperatures, stress, alcohol or smoking can contribute to an episode of angina. Learn More >>
An irregular or rapid heartbeat. You might feel shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness or chest pain. Learn More >>
A TIA, often called a mini-stroke, is temporary restriction of blood supplied to the brain. Neurological symptoms – numbness on one side of your face, arm or leg or trouble seeing, talking or walking – last less than 24 hours. If symptoms last longer, you’re having a stroke. If you are having symptoms of a TIA or stroke, it is important that you act fast and call 911 for immediate medical help.
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Diagnosis & Treatment