February is HEART health month!
Did you know that heart health research has only recently started focusing on the unique differences between men and women?
Let’s break this down:
❤️ Heart disease is the #1 killer of women worldwide.
Yes, the leading cause of death—even in high-income countries like the US. This statistic spans race and ethnicity, which means it’s something we all need to pay attention to.
❤️ Menopause dramatically impacts heart risk.
Estrogen naturally protects the heart. That’s why, if two women are the same age, the postmenopausal woman’s risk of a cardiovascular event is double that of the premenopausal woman. And those hot flashes and night sweats? They’ve been specifically linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure.
❤️ Women have other unique heart health risk factors.
Conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, PCOS, and endometriosis can increase heart disease risks. These are challenges male bodies never deal with.
❤️ Heart symptoms are often misdiagnosed in women.
Studies show women with heart disease symptoms are twice as likely as men to be told that it’s just ‘stress’ or ‘anxiety.’
❤️ Heart attacks present differently in women.
Sure, chest pain is common, but women often experience less obvious symptoms like pain in the neck, jaw, throat, arm, or back—plus dizziness, nausea, heartburn, or sheer exhaustion.
Save this post! Knowing these facts could literally save a life.
Drop a ❤️ in the comments if you learned something in this post—or send it to a friend to spread the word.