Christine Webb, Your Health and Fitness
If you are a woman, you may not believe you could suffer from a heart attack. But the latest research shows women account for nearly half of all heart attack deaths.
The latest research shows many younger women ignore or simply don't recognize the warning signs of a heart attack.
The study showed many young women tend to have a certain image of people who have a heart attack and that image is of a person who is overweight, or clutching his or her chest.
Heart disease is the leading killer of American women, claiming almost 500,000 lives a year, or about one death per minute. According to background information from these scientists, 16,000 young women with heart disease die every year and 40,000 are hospitalized.
So, what at the signs of a heart attack, especially in a young woman?
- Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest.
- Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body -- including the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Nausea or light-headedness.
Doctors say if you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical treatment immediately.
Last year, a study from the same group of researchers found that women under the age of 55 often fail to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack until it's too late.
They said 88 percent of women in that trial reported traditional symptoms of severe chest pain, yet only 42 percent suspected something was wrong with their heart.
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