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Are Heart Attacks a Guy Thing?

Question:

"Are heart attacks a guy thing? When someone has one on TV, it's always a man."

Answer:

They are definitely not just a guy thing!

Consider the following facts:

• Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States and outnumbers deaths from other causes including lung disease, lung cancer and breast cancer combined.
• Women account for 61% of deaths due to heart failure.
• Women have higher number of deaths after suffering from a heart attack compared to men.
• Although the number of deaths among men affected by heart disease has steadily declined in the last two decades, these numbers have not changed much among women.

Women need to talk with their primary care physician when they have a family history of heart disease or experience the classic symptoms of a heart attack, including:

• chest pain
• pressure or heaviness, that moves to the arms, neck, jaw
• shortness of breath
• sweating
• dizziness
• chest fluttering sensation

Most men and women tend to experience these classic symptoms of a heart attack.

But only women are also susceptible to non-classic symptoms of a heart attack, including nausea, vomiting, indigestion, fatigue, shortness of breath, referred pain or a fainting spell.

Do not hesitate to seek medical help and reassurance from your primary care physician if you have questions or concerns.

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