Healthy Living

Women's Heart Health: What You Need to Know

25 February 2025

When asked about their greatest health threat, many women don't name heart disease. But the statistics tell a different story – heart disease is the nation's number one killer of women. More than one-third of women who die in the U.S. each year die of heart disease, claiming more female lives each year than breast cancer.

Start Protecting Your Heart Early

While many women believe heart disease primarily affects older individuals, the truth is that the buildup of plaque in arteries (called atherosclerosis) can begin as early as your teens and 20s. This process, which can eventually lead to heart attacks and strokes, progresses silently for decades.

The risk of heart attack and stroke does increase significantly with age, especially after menopause. However, protecting your heart should start much earlier in life through healthy lifestyle choices.

Recognizing Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

While chest pain remains the most common symptom of heart attack in both men and women, women are more likely to experience symptoms that may seem unrelated to a heart attack. Women often describe heart attack pain as pressure or tightness, and it's possible to have a heart attack without any chest pain at all.

Women are more likely than men to experience these heart attack symptoms:

• Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper stomach pain

• Shortness of breath

• Pain in one or both arms

• Nausea or vomiting

• Sweating

• Lightheadedness or dizziness

• Unusual fatigue

• Heartburn or indigestion

These symptoms may be vague but can be more noticeable than chest pain. Compared to men, women tend to have symptoms more often when resting, or even when asleep. Emotional stress can also play a role in triggering heart attack symptoms in women.

Additionally, women tend to develop blockages not only in their main arteries but also in the smaller ones that supply blood to the heart – known as small vessel heart disease or coronary microvascular disease.

Health Insurance: A Critical Tool for Heart Health

If you have heart disease, health insurance can be a crucial resource. With health insurance, you can access:

• Preventive services to help you avoid serious illness

• Care for ongoing health conditions

• Treatment for new health issues, such as chronic disease or injury

Understanding your insurance options is important, though health insurance can be confusing. If you have a private health plan through your employer or that you buy on your own, you should receive a standardized, easy-to-understand form called the Summary of Benefits and Coverage.

For Providence Health Plan members, you can review your summary of benefits and coverage here: https://www.providencehealthplan.com/individuals-and-families/summary-of-benefits-and-coverage-sbc

Remember, being proactive about your heart health and understanding your insurance coverage are both essential steps in protecting your overall well-being.