Women lose the protective effects of estrogen. These changes contribute to atherosclerosis. The opposite is true, and here's why. They also have a higher mortality rate in the first year after an MI and they're more likely to have another MI in the next 5 years. Women develop heart disease 10 to 20 years later than men, at a time in their lives when they may have other health problems.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart disease in both men and women.
But how that pain presents may differ dramatically between the sexes. Men typically experience substernal chest pain that radiates down the left arm. But many women describe a heaviness in the shoulder, jaw, neck, back, throat, or teeth, and not in the chest. They experience nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath more frequently than the chest pain pattern typical of men. Women are also more likely to have intermittent pain or no pain at all.