WOMEN: WARNING! It Could Be a Heart Attack!


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Heart disease and stroke will kill almost 50% of all women in the United States.

It's not just a man's disease

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to have some of the other warning signs, particularly shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and back pain or jaw pain. Listen to your body. Don't ignore your symptoms. Get help fast.

WHAT WOMEN SHOULD KNOW: THE WARNING SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK

Every minute counts, even if the symptoms seem to dissappear! Know that not everyone gets all of these warning signs. And, sometimes these signs can go away and return. Treatments are most effective if given within one hour of when the attack begins. If you have these symptoms, call 911 right away!

Signs of a Heart Attack:

Chest discomfort or uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest that lasts longer than a few minutes, or comes and goes.
Spreading pain to one or both arms, back, jaw, or stomach.
Cold sweats and nausea.

ARE YOU HAVING A HEART ATTACK? DON'T WAIT.

Women typically wait longer than men to call for help.

IF YOU NOTICE ONE OR MORE OF THESE WARNING SIGNS IN ANYONE, DON'T WAIT MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES - NO MORE THAN 5. CALL 9-1-1 RIGHT AWAY!

Don't delay. Minutes matter.

Heart Facts

Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.
One in five women have some form of cardiovascular disease.
In 1999, cardiovascular disease (CVD) caused the deaths of 512,904 females, 53.5% of all deaths from CVD.
One out of three women compared with one out of four men will die within one year after having a heart attack.
A woman's chances of developing heart disease soar after she goes through menopause.
More women than men will suffer a second heart attack within six years after their first heart attack.
African American women are 60 percent more likely to die of coronary heart disease than white women.
Women with diabetes are 3 to 4 times more likely than men to develop heart disease.
Fewer than one in ten women today think that heart disease is their greatest health threat.
Diabetes doubles the risk of a second heart attack in women.

You Could Be at Risk for Heart Disease if You:

Smoke or use tobacco products
Have diabetes
Have high blood pressure
Have high cholesterol, including a high LDL (bad cholesterol), low HDL (good cholesterol) or high triglyceride levels
Have a sedentary lifestyle, or get little physical activity
Are overweight
Have a family history of heart disease
Had early menopause (before age 40)
Already had a heart attack
Have high levels of stress or feeling little control over your environment

You Can Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease if You:

Stop smoking
Eat a heart-healthy diet
Maintain a healthy weight
Keep blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol under control
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week
Talk to your health care provider about screening tests for heart disease
Learn how to reduce and manage stress
Engage in activities that can improve heart health (gardening, walking, housecleaning, stair climbing, etc.)

EXPLANATION OF TERMS

Cardiovascular diseases are diseases of the heart and blood vessel system, including heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, angina (chest pain) and coronary heart disease (blood vessel disease in the heart). Heart attacks, also called myocardial infarctions, result from coronary heart disease. A heart attack happens when an artery becomes blocked, preventing oxygen and nutrients from getting to the heart. The blockage is usually caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances) along the walls of these arteries.