Facts on Women and Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 292,188 women in
2009—that’s 1 in every 4 female deaths.
Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a "man's disease," around the same number of
women and men die each year of heart disease in the United States. Despite increases in awareness over
the past decade, only 54% of women recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for African American and white women in the United States.
Among Hispanic women, heart disease and cancer cause roughly the same number of deaths each year.
For American Indian or Alaska Native and Asian or Pacific Islander women, heart disease is second only to
cancer.
About 5.8% of all white women, 7.6% of black women, and 5.6% of Mexican American women have
coronary heart disease.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous
symptoms. Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.
Symptoms
Sometimes heart disease may be silent and not diagnosed until a woman experiences signs or symptoms of a
heart attack, heart failure, an arrhythmia, or stroke.
These symptoms may include
Heart Attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea/vomiting,
extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, and shortness of breath.
Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations).
Heart Failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling of the feet/ankles/legs/abdomen.
Stroke: Sudden weakness, paralysis (inability to move) or numbness of the face/arms/legs, especially on
one side of the body. Other symptoms may include: confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech,
difficulty seeing in one or both eyes, shortness of breath, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, loss of
consciousness, or sudden and severe headache.
For More Information
For more information on women and heart disease, visit the following Web sites—
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health
at www.womenshealth.gov
American Heart Association at www.heart.org
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_women_heart.htm
April 2014
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