WOMEN: WARNING! It Could Be a Heart Attack!

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.

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 
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.

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 Should Know...

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.)

Knowledge, Coupled with Action, is Power. Take Charge of Your 
Health! 

Ask your health care provider some of the following questions about the risks you face 

as a woman and the preventive measures you should take.

❍ What are my risk factors for heart disease? 

❍ What diseases in my family history should I be concerned about? 

❍ Do I need to lose or gain weight for my health? 

❍ What should I know about the effects of menopause on my health? 

❍ What is a healthy eating plan for me? 

❍ What kind of physical activity is right for me? 

❍ What is my blood pressure? Is it at a healthy level? 

❍ What are my cholesterol levels? Are they healthy levels?

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.

 

This information was developed by the U.S. DHHS Office on Women's Health and the 

American Society of Echocardiography and written in collaboration with the National Heart, 

Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) campaign, "Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs". For more 

information about the campaign and the National Heart Attack Alert Program, please contact 

NHLBI at 301-592-8573 or visit the web site www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime. For other inquiries, 

please visit the National Women's Health Information Center at www.4woman.gov or call 1-800-

994-WOMAN (TDD: 1-888-220-5446).
Revised December 2002