Here's how heart attack is different for women

The Philippine entertainment industry was rocked by the news of veteran actress Jaclyn Jose's sudden death.

As condolences started pouring in from Jaclyn's colleagues like Iza Calzado, Andrea Torres, and Claudine Barretto, curiosity also began growing over the cause of Jaclyn's untimely death.

By the afternoon of March 4, Jaclyn's dauther Andi Eigenmann finally confirmed that her mother passed away due to a myocardial infarction or more commonly known as a heart attack.

While most of us are familiar with what a heart attack is, the focus is mostly on men as they are often the ones who die from it. According to a case study titled “Coronary Heart Disease (Sakit sa Puso) in the Philippines” published in Stanford Medicine, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the Philippines in 2019, killing 58,000 men and 39,000 women.

With Jaclyn Jose's untimely passing bringing focus to heart disease in women, here are some important points that women have to keep in mind when it comes to heart disease.

What are the symptoms of heart attacks in women?

According to the American Heart Association, the symptoms of heart attacks in women are the following: uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts for a few minutes; pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath; as well as cold sweats, nausea or lightheadedness.

The Mayo Clinic adds that the other symptoms aside from chest pain are often not as noticeable and that compared to men, women experience heart attack symptoms more when they're resting or even when they're asleep.

What puts women at risk of heart attacks?

The Mayo Clinic lists a number of factors that put women in danger of getting a heart attack. Menopause is one of these factors, as the lower levels of estrogen after menopause increases the risk of developing disease in one's smaller blood vessels.

There are also different factors that put women at a greater risk of developing heart disease compared to men. These factors include smoking, diabetes, depression, and a family history of heart disease

The Mayo Clinic recommends that women under the age of 65 who have a family history of heart disease need to look closely at these heart disease risk factors.

What can be done to prevent heart attacks in women?

Lifestyle changes are the best way to prevent heart attacks in both women and men. Some of the lifestyle changes recommended by the Philippine Heart Association include five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, two hours maximum of recreational screen time, an hour of physical activity, and quitting smoking.