Cardiovascular Disease in Women (Cont.)

Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Women

A risk factor is any behavior or condition that increases a person's risk for a disease. Because there are so many types of cardiovascular disease, it is not possible to have just one list of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women. Instead, the specific risk factors will vary based on the type of cardiovascular disease.
 
That being said, a number of the more common cardiovascular disease types do share certain risk factors. Common risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women (and men) include:
 

Symptoms of Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Symptoms of cardiovascular disease in women can be different from those experienced by men. For example, up to 20 percent of women have no chest pain with heart attack symptoms. In many cases, shortness of breath may be the main symptom a woman experiences.
 
When these patients are mistakenly sent home from the emergency room, they are twice as likely to die from their heart problems as similar patients who are admitted to the hospital. Women who tend to have their symptoms misdiagnosed include women under the age of 55 or minorities.
 
(Cardiovascular Disease in Women Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD