The number of women with cardiovascular disease far outnumbers men. Women are more likely to have jaw or neck and shoulder pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, or shortness of breath. Women with obscure symptoms such as these may warrant being worked up for cardiovascular disease. These non-classical symptoms may result in women not getting medical attention soon enough, which results in the disease being at a more advanced stage at their initial encounter. Despite significant preventive and therapeutic alternatives of proven benefit and cost-effectiveness for both men and women, recommendations and practice styles may exclude women and can be inadequate in the face of the rising trend of heart disease.
Women have multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease, some of which are unique to women.
Diabetes Mellitus is a powerful predictor of coronary heart disease and carries a poorer prognosis for women. Smoking is associated with half of all coronary events in women. Women are more likely to use smoking as a weight control measure or in response to underlying stress and anxiety. The risk is particularly high in younger women, which unfortunately is the only group in our society who currently have an upward trend in tobacco use. Women and especially our young counterparts should be strongly encouraged to exercise and be counseled heavily in smoking cessation.