- 1. Are women more at risk of heart attack than men?
- 2. Do women have a higher risk of heart attack after menopause?
- 3. Does heart attack always cause chest pain?
- 4. Women die more of a heart attack than men.
- 5. Does family history increase the chance of a heart attack?
- 6. Women of the right weight do not suffer a heart attack.
- 7. Having a family history is a guarantee of also having a heart attack.
Infarction in women causes more deaths than in men because it usually causes symptoms different from the chest pain commonly seen in men. This makes women take longer to ask for help than men, which increases the chances of complications and death.
It is also important to remember that postmenopausal women with a family history of heart disease are at increased risk of having a heart attack. Below are other myths and truths on the subject.
1. Are women more at risk of heart attack than men?
Myth. Women are less likely to have a heart attack than men, as well as a lower risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.
2. Do women have a higher risk of heart attack after menopause?
Truth. Younger women have a lower risk of heart attack than men, but after age 45 and menopause, the chances of having heart problems and other health problems are increased due to changes in hormones.
3. Does heart attack always cause chest pain?
Myth. The symptom of chest pain is more common in men, while in women the main signs of infarction are tiredness, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, pain in the back and in the chin and throat. In addition, infarction does not always cause symptoms and is often only discovered after the patient goes to the hospital with malaise, vomiting and dizziness. See more about the symptoms here.
4. Women die more of a heart attack than men.
Truth. As the symptoms of a heart attack in women are usually milder, they take longer to identify the problem and to ask for help, which increases the risk of death and complications. See how the treatment of infarction is done.
5. Does family history increase the chance of a heart attack?
Truth. Both women and men are more likely to have a heart attack when there are relatives who have had the same problem or who have diseases like diabetes and high cholesterol.
6. Women of the right weight do not suffer a heart attack.
Myth. Even women who are within the proper weight can suffer heart attacks, especially if they do not eat healthy, do not practice physical activity, if they are smokers and if they use birth control pills.
7. Having a family history is a guarantee of also having a heart attack.
Myth. Although the chances of having a heart attack are also greater, women with a family history can prevent this problem by maintaining a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet, controlling their weight, exercising regularly and avoiding diseases such as high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension..
To prevent a heart attack, see 12 signs that can indicate heart problems.
