Heart Health: What’s Unique to Women

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of American women, killing one out of three women in the United States. Since 1984, women have surpassed men in cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Traditional risk factors - such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity - affect men and women, but other factors can play a larger role for women. Pregnancy-related pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, gestational diabetes, stillbirth, miscarriages (especially multiple), depression, stress and a history of trauma or abuse can all put women at a higher risk of developing heart disease.

Examples of cardiovascular disease include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, high blood pressure, peripheral vascular disease and congestive heart failure. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of heart disease that affects women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. It can be hard to detect, which is why it’s important for women to understand their family history and other risk factors and be open with their physician about any symptoms they may experience.