One minute Elizabeth Baska was wrapping Christmas gifts … “and suddenly I couldn’t breathe,” says the Seattle mom, who was 36 at the time.
Just as she had done during a similar episode two years earlier, she called 911. And, once again, the paramedics who came diagnosed the incident as an anxiety attack. But this time, Baska’s symptoms continued to worsen, so the emergency personnel gave her an EKG—and determined that she was having a heart attack. “If I were a man, I think everyone would have been quicker to realize that it was my heart,” says Baska, who now takes pulse-slowing medications to keep her safe. “I never considered the possibility because I didn’t think women needed to worry about heart attacks.”
The truth is, more than 450,000 American women die from heart disease each year. For two decades, it has killed more women than men, and the gap is actually widening as men’s heart attack death rates improve faster than women’s. Yet only a third of women in the United States consider themselves at risk for heart disease, according to a 2006 poll.
“Most women worry far more about breast cancer than heart disease,” says Elsa-Grace V. Giardina, MD, cardiologist and director of the Center for Women’s Health at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Health Editorial Advisory Board member. “But for every woman who dies from breast cancer, 10 die from heart attacks.”
There have been advances: Heart disease deaths in women actually declined between 2003 and 2004. But the lifetime risk of dying of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still nearly one in three for women. And that’s why the American Heart Association (AHA) recently released new guidelines underscoring the importance of healthy lifestyles in women of all ages to reduce the long-term risks of heart and blood vessel diseases.
Next page: Forget most of what you already know about heart attacks
Comments (7)
Funny I should see this article, very timely.I am a 49 yr old woman, and jsut had an episode last week that sent me to the ER, the first time ever. I was told that they were not sure what caused my caridac symptoms, possibly stress. A follow up visit with my Cardioligist I was told stress was probably the culpret and given an anti-anxiety med. I do have a stress test tomorrow so we will see what shows up, but this aritcle gives me more confidence to listen to my body and not jsut accept pat answers. thanks
I am a 43 yr old woman and also went to the ER. I am following up with a Cardioligist who will do a stress test. I already take a low dose of anxiety med. what is strange is everyone thinks it is stress at this stage. Glad I have read this article because I want to be sure I will not have a heart attack.
Hello again Tammy! Heres an article of interest.
Imagine 450,000 woman die of heart attacks each year!
Ellen
I have been diagnosed with a superficial phlebitis. Apparently it’s not dangerous, however, my doc says he’s a bit worried because I got it suddenly and with no real reason or explanation for it. Most people who have this either receive an injury that caused this blood clot or they receive i.v. therapy and the injection site gets a clot. My phlebitis is located, starting from under the right arm and it travels towards the breast. Does anyone have any experience with this. Do I need to worry? I have had a doppler ultrasound and x-ray and I do not have Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
After suffering all day with pains in my back and neck, I ended up in the ER to find out I had a heart attack. No one was more surprised than me by these symptoms. Turns out my chlos. was fine, my blood pressure was, my weight was fine. They are blaming it on my family history and stress. Hope this helps someone else.
I was in the ER approx 2 months ago. As usual they marked it off as stress related. Just because of the way the economy is, does not mean every pain in the chest is stress related. The DR.’s and hospitals need to check more into this then they are. I thought I was going to have a heart attack tonight, pain in my arm, sharp pain in my chest and lingering pain in my chest. But I am not going to waste my time or my money to go to the hospital for them to tell me it is just “STRESS”
I’m doing a research paper for my English class about heart disease and women. I’m in awe of how little is being done to prevent the #1 killer of women. Nothing against breast cancer, but this is some serious stuff. The word has to be spread about this. I’m 32 now and have alot of risk factors, so knowing what I do will give me a edge of hoping beating this disease.