Heart disease is the leading killer of both sexes, killing roughly 610,000 people in the United States each year. According to a study published in AHA Journals, women age 35 to 74 account for nearly a third of all female heart attack patients. Between 1995 and 1999, young women only accounted for 27 percent. Melissa Caughey, co-author of the study, says the sudden rise is caused by the overall poorer health of recent generations. High rates of obesity and stress paired with low rates of physical activity are prevalent among younger women. Caughey also noted that women don’t receive the same heart attack care as men. These discrepancies may be due to the fact that female heart attack symptoms are harder to recognize than male symptoms. Warning signs for women include nausea, stomach pain and shortness of breath. Men experience more direct symptoms such as chest pain and numbness.
