Women's Cardiovascular Center
at the Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute
Facts About Women and Heart Disease

• Heart disease is the #1 killer in women, regardless of race or ethnicity, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer, combined.
• 1 in 3 women will die from heart disease.
• Women are more likely to die one year after a heart attack than men.
• The vast majority of women in the US remain unaware that cardiovascular disease poses a serious threat to their health.
• Heart disease disproportionately affects women of color, especially Hispanics and African Americans.
• Diagnosis of heart disease is more challenging in women than men as women can often have atypical symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, jaw or neck pain.
• Because women can have atypical symptoms, they may be less likely to seek timely medical care.
• Women with cardiovascular disease are less likely to receive life-saving medications or procedures when compared to men.
• Low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol appear to be a stronger predictor of heart disease in women than in men.
• Elevated levels of triglycerides also appear to increase the risk of heart disease in the elderly and in women.
• Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than women who do not smoke.
• Women with diabetes are 2-3 times more likely to have a heart attack.
• Lowering blood pressure, attaining a healthy weight with diet and exercise and quitting smoking are all measures to lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
• If a woman has one risk factor (hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, or tobacco use), she has 40% lifetime risk of developing cardiovascular disease or stroke.
• 43% of women with an acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack, do not have chest pain.
• By the Framingham Risk Score, 80-90% of women are considered low risk for fatal cardiovascular disease.