Women’s hearts really are different.
It's true. Women's hearts really are unique—from the size of their cardiac arteries and the way they're affected by cholesterol and plaque, to the most common warning signs of a heart attack (which are often dramatically different than symptoms in men). These important differences can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis, and may contribute to the fact that heart disease is the number one threat to women’s health in the US.
That’s why the Teaching Hospital is taking a different approach to heart health for women. Drs. Carol Gruver and Poonam Puri at UT Erlanger Cardiology are the region’s first cardiologists with a distinct focus on women’s cardiology. Armed with unique knowledge and experience in treating female heart issues, they’re helping to lead the fight against heart disease.
It’s a different approach—because your heart is different. For an appointment, call 778-DOCS.
Heart attacks in women: know the symptoms.
While there is no way to predict just how a heart attack will present itself, there are several symptoms that women are more likely to experience—and may often mistake for something less serious—including:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Breaking out in a cold sweat.
- Nausea or light-headedness.
- As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is
chest pain or discomfort.