Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Cardiovascular disease in women is an integral area of research in the ongoing studies of women's health. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an umbrella term for a wide range of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, including but not limited to, coronary artery disease, stroke, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarctions, and aortic aneurysms.
Heart failure is caused by chronic oxygen deprivation due to reduced blood flow, which weakens the heart over time. Arrhythmias are caused by inadequate blood supply to the heart that interferes with the heart's electric impulse. The coronary arteries can constrict as a response to various stimuli, mostly chemical. This is known as a coronary ...
About 30% of people have atypical symptoms. [8] Women more often present without chest pain and instead have neck pain, arm pain or feel tired. [11] Among those over 75 years old, about 5% have had an MI with little or no history of symptoms. [12] An MI may cause heart failure, an irregular heartbeat, cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. [3] [4]
Each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 735,000 people have a heart attack and 610,000 people die of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Clogged arteries can be a significant factor in severe heart conditions.
Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), or ischemic heart disease (IHD), [13] is a type of heart disease involving the reduction of blood flow to the cardiac muscle due to a build-up of atheromatous plaque in the arteries of the heart. [5] [6] [14] It is the most common of the cardiovascular diseases. [15]
Among women who experience a heart attack, many do not have any prior chest pain. [19] Due to alterations in sensory pathways, diabetic and elderly individuals also may present without any chest pain and may have atypical symptoms similar to those seen in women. [8] This type of ischemia is also known as silent ischemia. [21] [22] [23] [24]
SCAD is the most common cause of heart attacks in pregnant and postpartum women. Over 90% of people who develop SCAD are women. [25] It is especially common among women aged 43–52. [17] With angiography and improved recognition of the condition, diagnosis of SCAD has improved since the early 2010s.