Heart attacks in women

This paper by the American Heart association provides information on acute (sudden) heart attack in women. 

Coronary heart disease occurs when there is a build-up of fats (such as cholesterol) in the blood vessels. This causes poor blood flow and can lead to a heart attack. This remains understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated in women. It afflicts 6.6 million women in the US each year. Within 5 years of a first acute heart attack, more women than men will die, have heart failure, or suffer from a stroke.

This statement from the American Heart Association focusing on the risks and outcomes of heart attack in women.

Certain risk factors of heart disease are stronger in women.  Smoking is the most important preventable cause of heart attack in women. The risk of an acute heart attack is significantly reduced within 1 or 2 years of stopping smoking.  Women with high blood pressure are 36% more at risk of heart attack than women without high blood pressure.  Elevated levels of cholesterol increase the risk of death from heart related causes. Obesity increases women’s risk of acute heart attack almost 3-fold. Diabetes increases the risk of coronary heart disease in young women 4-5 fold. Psychological factors like depression and stress also increase the risk of heart disease. 

Women more frequently experience upper back, arm and neck pain as sympotoms of heart attack, as well as fatigue, nausea, weakness and difficulty breathing. They are less likely to experience chest pain.

Women are less frequently referred for appropriate treatment during an acute heart attack compared with men. Treatment to break down blood clots reduces death rates. A study of 22 trials with 6763 patients after a heart attack found that women who had a percutaneous coronary intervention (a non-surgical procedure used to treat the narrowed coronary arteries) had lower rates of death within 30 days. Anticoagulants (drugs that stop blood from clotting), aspirin, beta-blockers, statins, ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are types of drugs that are effective after a heart attack.

Cardiac rehabilitation, such as exercise training is recommended after a heart attack. Women also receive less sexual counselling after a heart attack. Women are more likely to suffer complications after a heart attack than men. Examples include bleeding and heart failure. 

The authors concluded that more work and research is needed for women with coronary heart disease. 

This article took evidence from various studies. 

Talk to your doctor about reducing risks and managing complication of coronary heart disease.