Heart attack symptoms in women can present differently than in men, whose symptoms tend to be the more widely recognized ones, but it’s just as dangerous for women. That’s why it’s important to know the symptoms of a heart attack in women, as well as their cardiovascular risk factors.
What Is a Heart Attack?Although we often use the term “heart attack,” the correct medical term is myocardial infarction. This condition occurs when there’s a blockage in a coronary artery, damaging the heart, and if the blockage lasts too long, it can cause that part of the heart muscle to die, explains Dr. Lilia Sierra Galán, clinical cardiology specialist at ABC Medical Center.
When someone says they had a heart attack, this usually refers to a myocardial infarction affecting the entire heart wall, but there’s a more subtle variant of this condition that occurs mainly in women.
How a Heart Attack Starts in WomenIn women, it’s common for the heart to begin suffering damage in small areas or zones. Over time, this repeated damage leads to the death of cells in the inner layers of the heart. As a result, low-intensity heart attacks occur that are difficult to detect through testing, since the outer wall of the heart appears completely normal on imaging.
This condition is known as endothelial dysfunction, which can be treated if properly identified, helping prevent irreversible heart damage down the line.
Heart attack symptoms in women can be more subtle than in men, which often delays diagnosis. While chest pain is still a common sign, many women may experience atypical symptoms such as:
- Extreme fatigue.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Discomfort in the neck, jaw, or back.
- A sense of impending doom or anxiety.
Shortness of breath or cold sweats may also occur. All of these symptoms can appear suddenly or gradually, and they don’t necessarily need to be intense, which is why they’re often underestimated.
Heart Attack Risk Factors in WomenIn women, hormones play an important role in heart health, but that doesn’t mean every woman is destined to face this once she reaches perimenopause, notes Dr. Sierra.
What’s important to understand is that there are changes in how the body metabolizes fats, cholesterol, glucose, and insulin resistance, along with changes in how each woman’s body processes these components. As a result, there are changes in how they can build up in the arteries and other parts of the vascular system.
To help prevent a dangerous, irreversible situation, every woman is advised to get evaluated to determine whether she’s at risk, once she reaches perimenopause.
It’s also important to see a doctor if you notice fatigue and excessive sweating in your day-to-day life, headaches that feel different from your usual ones, irritability, or, if you’ve had testing done, abnormal results.
Since this variant of heart attack is so hard to detect in women, Dr. Sierra recommends staying alert to small symptoms and having regular checkups with your doctor, to keep any potential risk from escalating to a dangerous level.
At ABC Medical Center’s Cardiovascular Diagnostics area or at the Women’s Center , we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
