Women's Services Newsletter

Heart Attacks — Even in Young Women!

A heart attack is twice as likely to be deadly for a woman younger than age 50 than it is for a man of similar age. This is according to researchers reporting in a 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers lead by Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, examined the records of 229,313 men and 155,565 women. The subjects had been hospitalized for heart attacks. They found that for every five-year decrease in age, “the odds of death during hospitalization for women relative to men increased 11.1%.”

One theory is that women who experience symptoms may wait longer than men to go to the hospital. Women and men should be aware of the warning signs for heart attacks.

Warning Signs Include:

• Chest or back pain or deep throbbing in the left or right bicep or forearm
• Breathlessness or waking up and having difficulty catching your breath
• Skin that feels cold and wet
• Dizziness, unexplained lightheadedness, or blackouts
• Swelling, particularly of the ankles and/or lower legs
• Fluttering or rapid heartbeats
• Upset stomach
• Fullness or pressure-like chest pain between breasts and radiating to left arm or shoulder

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