Recent Research Reveals Something Surprising About Heart Disease in Women

Think about a typical heart patient.

You’re imagining a middle-aged man, right?

For too long, men have been the unofficial face of heart disease. Yet heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. According to the CDC, over 60 million women in the United States are living with some form of heart disease. That image of heart disease as a men’s health issue is quite literally putting our lives in danger. Because of it, women are less likely to identify signs of heart attacks — but it isn’t just the general public that doesn’t have a great understanding of how heart attacks present in women.

If recent research is any indication, the medical community has been building their understanding of heart disease around men too. 

For this research, researchers analyzed 1,474 heart attack cases in people under 65. According to their findings, clogged arteries accounted for 75 percent of heart attack among the men…but only 47 percent among women. 

Clogged arteries have long been considered the hallmark of heart disease, but according to this research, lesser-known causes of heart attacks may be more common in young women.

The issue of course, is that the lack of clinical understanding — as well as cultural awareness — can lead to misdiagnosis, ineffective treatment, and medical gaslighting. 

The good news? This research represents a step towards better understanding how heart disease shows up in women, and as always, that’s the first step to better health outcomes.

Ask Clara: How do heart attacks present in women?