It is amazing women are still not getting that message, and one has to ask why. Hill said women may not know a lot about heart disease because they often see gynecologists, who focus on reproductive health. Also, many doctors are not aware of the risk of heart disease in women because up until 10 years ago, women were largely excluded from heart disease studies. But women tend to report more subjective symptoms such as not feeling good, nausea, dizziness and weakness. These symptoms are often overlooked by both women and their doctors or attributed to something else.
Studies show women also wait longer than men to seek help.
Because doctors didn't have information and were not looking for heart disease in women, it was often not diagnosed or treated. But recent studies show this may be improving. Studies of the sexes Women tend to develop heart disease a decade later than men. The menopausal process takes five to 10 years, during which there's a progressive decline in estrogen, weight increases, blood pressure goes up, and cholesterol levels change. Studies are looking at the role of estrogen, testosterone and other hormones in the development of heart disease in both sexes.