Certainly, there are other explanations for these symptoms, but if you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. Only your physician can diagnose heart disease. Realities The facts about heart disease in women are disheartening. There is the widespread misconception that heart disease is a man's disease. Nearly 500,000 women will die this year from cardiovascular disease-almost double the number of deaths caused by all types of cancer combined.
Women are twice as likely to die from heart disease than from breast cancer.
Until recently, women have been under-represented in many studies that have set the standard for detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The good news is that the recently launched National Institutes of Health Women's Health Initiative may provide valuable information on the unique features of heart disease in women. This initiative is an extensive 14-year study of 140,000 postmenopausal women. Although it will be some time before all of the results are available, the medical community now understands that heart disease in women may present differently from what is seen in men. New research confirms that women may fare worse than men following a first heart attack.