Heart disease is the biggest killer of American women, yet women are treated differently for their heart problems. Men reporting to hospital emergency rooms usually receive more aggressive treatment for heart attacks. This could be in part because women have different heart attack symptoms. While they experience the same chest pain as men, women are more likely to have other symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, loss of appetite and back pain. They may not recognize that these symptoms could mean that they're having a heart attack.
Women are also likely to receive less sophisticated pacemakers.
Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say heart disease tends to strike women after menopause, when they lose the protective effects of female hormones. Hormone replacement therapy can help lower women's risk for heart disease. Other Topics Health Watch is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.