Heartburn & Heart Disease in Women: Recognizing the Connection

Painful heartburn can be one of the signs of heart disease in women and a warning signal of an ongoing heart attack. Females often experience differing signs of coronary distress.

Identification

• A heart attack commonly masquerades as painful heartburn or indigestion. Physicians encourage erring on the side of caution and seeking emergency attention should a heart attack appear the likely cause.

Significance

• ̶0;If the heartburn seems worse or different from normal--especially if it occurs during physical activity or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea or pain radiating into your shoulder and arm--get emergency help immediately,̶1; says The Mayo Clinic.

Women

• Women are more prone than males to experiencing less common symptoms of a heart attack like heartburn, loss of appetite, fatigue, coughing or a fluttering heart.

Considerations

• One in four deaths each year in American women is attributable to heart disease. ̶0;The older a woman gets, the more likely she is to get heart disease,̶1; according to The U.S. National Women̵7;s Health Information Center. ̶0;Both men and women have heart attacks, but more women who have heart attacks die from them.̶1;

Warning

• Birth control pills increase the likelihood of heart disease in women above age 35, as well as those who smoke or have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol.