Heart Attacks are Happening More Often to Younger Women
Heart attacks are happening more often to younger women. According to the American Heart Association, heart attacks are becoming more common in young women between the ages of 35-54.
The majority of the women admitted to hospitals for heart attacks were black. They also had high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease which increase the risk of heart attack.
These women were also less likely to receive surgical procedures to open clogged arteries and less likely to be prescribed medications such as beta-blockers, blood thinners and cholesterol lowering drugs than men.
Since women experience different heart attack symptoms than men, the women are often misdiagnosed by healthcare professionals who are not familiar with the different heart attack symptoms.
Women experience symptoms such as fatigue, pain in arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach and intermittent chest pain. The majority of these women are obese or have diabetes which are huge factors that increase heart attack risk.
Women who have had strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases experience higher death rates than men. It is critical that women learn the symptoms and treatments for heart attacks and the importance of maintaining healthy body weight.
The American Heart Association recommends several screening tests for women to include:
Weight and BMI
Fasting blood glucose levels to check for diabetes
Heart disease is the number one killer of women. Women need to know their risk factors for heart disease so they can prevent heart attacks. Knowing your numbers (BMI, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure) is key to good heart health.
If a woman experiences any of the above symptoms associated with a heart attack, they need to go directly to the Emergency Room. Tests such as an EKG, Echocardiogram, MRI, CT Scan and a Stress test can definitively diagnose a heart attack or heart disease.
Heart attacks are happening more often to younger women. We as women must educate ourselves about prevention and know the symptoms so we can take appropriate steps and survive a heart attack.
A low fat, whole food diet which includes fruits, vegetables and lean protein can greatly improve our health and keep our weight in a healthy range. Eating a diet low in processed sugar is also key to prevent diabetes and obesity.