News & Information

Most women don’t realize that they’re in danger from heart disease. According to an American Heart Association survey, women are much more aware of breast cancer than they are of heart attacks, often dismissing heart disease as something that primarily affects men. However, heart disease kills twice as many women as breast cancer does – and every year since 1984, more women than men have died from cardiac arrest.

Perhaps women are less aware of heart disease because female heart disease symptoms often look very different from male symptoms. Most medical textbooks describe “typical” heart disease as the kind men get – complete with squeezing chest and left arm pain and a sense of overwhelming panic. Women often have a completely different experience: they may feel no chest pain at all, sometimes reporting a burning sensation in the back, shoulders, jaw or arm. Nausea, vomiting and indigestion are also common. At times the only symptom is tenderness to touch. – and sometimes there are no symptoms at all (silent myocardial infarction). Many times, women don’t realize they’ve experienced a heart attack until it’s too late. (1) (2)

If you are experiencing any unusual upper body symptoms, you should consult your doctor. It may not look like a cardiac problem  -- but it may be a heart attack waiting to happen. In addition, if you’re statistically at risk for heart disease – high cholesterol or blood pressure, diabetic, over 50 or a smoker – you should consider taking out a critical illness insurance policy as well. Critical illness insurance provides financial protection for potential heart attack victims, paying a lump sum benefit when they have suffered cardiac arrest.

(1) Heart Health Center. November 2011. About.com. July 15 2012. http://heartdisease.about.com/od/chestpainangina/a/women_symptoms.htm

 
(2) Heart Health Center. November 2011. About.com. July 15 2012. http://heartdisease.about.com/od/womenheartdisease/a/heartdisease_wm.htm