Heart Disease in Women

Every minute one woman dies from heart disease. Women are more likely to have "nonclassic" heart attack symptoms than men. For example, for many women a strange discomfort in the back rather than crushing chest pain may be a symptom of a heart attack.

These are the most common warning signs for heart attack in women:

• Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
• Chest discomfort with sweating
• Pain that spreads from the chest to the arm, neck, or jawShortness of breath, tiredness, or upset stomach.

Click here to read A Woman’s Guide to Beating Heart Disease on the Saint Peter’s Better Health Library.
Do you know what a woman’s risks for heart disease are? Take this quiz to find out.