Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease in Women
Unlike men, women frequently have no symptoms of coronary heart disease, and even when they do experience symptoms, they are often considered atypical. Instead of the crushing pain that lasts for 20 minutes at a time -- which generally signifies a heart attack in men -- women often feel mild angina, which comes and goes.Women may experience symptoms that seem more like heartburn or indigestion than coronary heart disease. Or women may simply feel fatigued or nauseous.
 Women do not always have warning signs for heart disease, so women at risk should talk to their doctors about screening. See more pictures of women's health. |
The
lack of "classic" symptoms of coronary heart disease makes it difficult
to identify those who should undergo some form of testing. It's
important for women to talk with their doctor about such atypical
symptoms that might signal coronary heart disease and to examine other
risk factors that may be an indicator.
Of course, women with
recognized symptoms should be screened, and women with a significant
risk factor, such as familial hyperlipidemia or diabetes, should also
be screened and may be advised to undergo further testing even if they
have no symptoms.
In the past, many symptoms, such as angina,
were thought to be primarily a result of fixed plaques that limited
blood flow to the heart. Today, however, this traditional view is being
challenged.
In fact, the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation
study researchers found that in approximately one-third of cases in
which women show little or no narrowing, endothelial dysfunction may be
to blame; cells that line the walls of blood vessels, called the
endothelium, may limit blood flow. Also, in some cases, plaque in
women's arteries may build up in a smooth, even pattern -- unlike the
typical lumpy plaque build-up in men's arteries -- which standard tests
don't detect.
As a result, it's important for women suffering
symptoms of coronary heart disease but who do not show narrowed
arteries on an angiogram to undergo further testing to determine the
underlying cause.
Although it can be an unknown risk factor in women, there's no need to fear coronary heart disease if you follow the advice in this article to know when to get tested.
For more information on coronary heart disease, check out the links on the next page.
More Information on Coronary Heart Disease
For more information on coronary heart disease, see:
- Diagnosing Coronary Heart Disease in Women: A range of tests are available if your risk is higher than 5 percent. Learn what these are, and why some aren't always accurate.
- Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors in Women: Risk factors affect women differently than men. Learn how the risk changes as women grow older.
- Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease in Women: Traditional treatment isn't always effective in women. Learn about lifestyle changes to keep your heart healthy.
- Coronary Heart Disease: This condition is the culmination of years of plaque buildup in the arteries. Find out how to prevent it.
Dr. Neil Stone is a professor of clinical medicine in cardiology at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University and a practicing internist-cardiologist-lipidologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Vascular Center for the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Stone was a member of the first and third National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panels and a past chairman of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee and Clinical Affairs Committee.
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