Circulatory system

Women and heart disease

With information from Women & Heart Disease. Texas Heart® Institute. (2004)

Women and heart disease

At one time, people believed heart disease affected mostly men. Today, however, we know that heart disease also affects women. In fact, cardiovascular diseases affect more women than men. Such diseases account for more than 40 percent of all deaths of American women. In fact, 25 percent of women over the age of 65 have some form of heart disease.

Women and heart attack

Symptoms of heart attack are different in women than they are in men, and heart attacks also tend to be more severe in women than in men. In the first year following heart attack, mortality is 50 percent higher among women. In other words, women are 50 percent more likely than men to die from heart attack. In the first six years following heart attack, women are more than twice as likely than men to suffer a second heart attack.

Because they do not experience the typical pain in the left half of their chest, many women may experience a heart attack and not know it. Symptoms of heart attack in women may include a burning sensation in the upper abdomen, lightheadedness, upset stomach, and sweating.

Oral contraceptives (Birth control pills)

Oral contraceptives have been shown to increase cardiovascular risk in women, particularly in women who smoke. Birth control pills raise blood pressure and blood sugar levels in some women. They have also been shown to increase the risk of blood clots. The risks associated with oral contraceptives increase as women age. Be sure to tell your doctor about any other risk factors before beginning any birth control pills.

Estrogen and heart disease

Studies have shown that post-menopausal women experience an increased risk of heart disease. This is linked to decreased levels of estrogen during menopause. Estrogen is associated with higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good cholesterol") and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol").

There appears to be a link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and heart disease. In the first year of the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS), doctors found that post-menopausal women with heart disease who were given progestin and estrogen actually had more heart attacks and more heart-disease related deaths than women not on HRT. However, after four years of study, researchers noted little difference between the groups with respect to the incidence of heart attack and heart disease-related deaths. Following the HERS and other trials, the American Heart Association recommends against the use of hormone replacement therapy in women with known heart disease.