Heart Disease in Women: Know the Signs

You’ve been feeling unusually tired — for a couple of weeks now. And suddenly there are some puzzling new symptoms: mild chest discomfort, shortness of breath, dizziness. A heart attack?

Not me, you say.

Think again.

In the United States, heart disease kills more women than any other health condition. Unfortunately, many women fail to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack. That’s because their attack is more likely than a man’s to lack the most common warning sign — sudden, intense chest pain. Instead, women often experience mild chest discomfort, pressure, squeezing, tightness or fullness.

In addition, a recent study found that many women begin having symptoms long before a heart attack actually strikes — sometimes even a month beforehand. The most common signs reported are:

• Unusual fatigue.
• Sleep disturbances.
• Shortness of breath.
• Indigestion.
• Anxiety.

However, nearly two-thirds of women who die suddenly from heart disease have no previous symptoms. For this and other reasons, it’s important to prevent heart disease in the first place. You can lower your risk by:

• Not smoking.
• Being active at least 30 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week.
• Eating a diet low in saturated fat and high in fruits, veggies, grains, low-fat dairy and lean sources of protein.
• Controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Keeping your blood sugar in check.