General information
In general, women are still significantly less likely to suffer from heart attacks than men. This is mainly due to the unhealthier lifestyle of the male sex, which is more prone to nicotine and alcohol consumption, as well as the consumption of fatty food. Nevertheless, heart attacks are one of the most frequent causes of death among women in industrialized countries, along with strokes.
Moreover, women have been catching up with men in terms of the frequency of heart attacks for some years now. This is mainly due to the fact that the consumption of nicotine by women is increasing. The symptoms of heart attacks in women sometimes differ from those of men, which is why it makes sense to address the issue.
In most cases, heart attacks occur in the context of coronary heart disease (CHD). This is a disease of the coronary arteries, i.e. the arteries and veins that supply the heart muscle with blood and oxygen. In most cases, it is the result of vascular calcification (arteriosclerosis).
In this case, deposits in the walls of the vessels cause a reduction in the diameter of the vessels, which over time means that less and less blood can be transported through the vessels. This results in a reduced blood supply to the muscle. This is particularly noticeable when the heart muscle requires a particularly large amount of oxygen, i.e. especially during physical exertion.
In advanced stages, this can already be the case when climbing stairs and can manifest itself as a leading symptom of CHD: angina pectoris. Typically, this not only manifests itself as a tightness in the chest area, as the name suggests, but is often described as heartburn and tearing behind the breastbone. Similar to a full-blown heart attack, the pain can radiate to the upper arms and hands, the upper abdomen and the back.
Further consequences of a narrowing of the coronary arteries can be cardiac arrhythmia, as well as a rapid loss of breath, even under slight stress. Such complaints, which occur particularly during physical exertion, should therefore not be dismissed lightly. If coronary artery disease is detected in time, worse can possibly be prevented.
