Most Women Unaware Heart Disease Is Top Risk

February is American Heart Month, a nationwide observance highlighting cardiovascular disease and the urgent need for prevention and early detection. Yet studies show only 56% of women know that heart disease — not cancer — is their No. 1 killer.

Research also indicates women differ from men in how they care for their heart health and how they report heart attack symptoms.

In 2023, heart disease accounted for one in five female deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"It is the leading killer of women at all ages so, starting at the age of 18, more women will die of heart disease than breast cancer," Dr. C. Noel Bairey-Merz, a professor of cardiology and director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai, told ABC News.

Bairey-Merz noted that most cardiovascular research has historically focused on men. As a result, the classic heart attack symptoms — such as crushing chest pain, sweating, and pain radiating down the left arm — may not reflect how women typically experience a cardiac event.

The American Heart Association (AHA) says women are more likely to feel pain in the upper back, arm, neck, or jaw. They may not experience the “elephant standing on my chest” sensation often described by men.

In fact, women are about 30% less likely than men to report chest pain during a heart attack. Instead, they may describe discomfort or multiple, less specific symptoms.

Women are also more likely to delay seeking medical care during a heart attack. A 2022 study published in The Lancet found that women were more likely than men to misinterpret their symptoms as unrelated to the heart.

According to the AHA, some women may hesitate to report symptoms for fear of being labeled a hypochondriac. Experts recommend that women speak up about heart-related concerns, bring a list of symptoms to medical appointments, and ask about appropriate screening tests to better assess their risk.

Bairey-Merz adds that both women and men can protect their cardiovascular health by following the AHA’s Life’s Essential 8 checklist, which includes eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, quitting tobacco, getting adequate sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and monitoring cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, and other key health markers.

“There is this sense that heart disease is a man’s disease and it’s just wrong,” says cardiologist Dr. Harmony Reynolds. “If you don’t look for it, you’re not gonna find it.”