• Each year, approximately one in every five female deaths is attributed to heart disease. This translates to about 300,000 women losing their lives to cardiovascular diseases annually. What’s even more alarming is that nearly half of women are unaware of this risk, often underestimating the threat to their own health.

• While the risk of heart disease increases with age for both men and women, it’s important to note that heart problems can affect women at any stage of life. However, the risk significantly rises after menopause. This is partly due to the decline in estrogen levels, which is believed to have a protective effect on the heart.

Certain factors increase a woman’s risk of developing heart disease. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes. Women with a family history of heart disease are also at higher risk. Additionally, pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes can increase the long-term risk of heart disease.

Heart disease in women can often be “silent,” meaning it develops without any noticeable symptoms. This silent progression makes regular check-ups and awareness of risk factors crucial. Some women may experience heart disease for years without realizing it, increasing the risk of a sudden cardiac event.

It’s important to note that heart disease doesn’t affect all women equally. African American women, for instance, are at a higher risk of heart disease compared to white women. They’re also more likely to die from heart disease at younger ages. These disparities highlight the need for targeted prevention and treatment strategies.

If you’re concerned about your heart health or have risk factors for heart disease, we encourage you to visit our Atlanta cardiologists. Our doctors specialize in women’s heart health and can provide comprehensive evaluations, personalized treatment plans, and ongoing care to help you maintain a healthy heart.

Trust your heart health to CVG’s twenty board-certified cardiologists. Equipped with leading-edge diagnostic tools, a wealth of experience, and compassion, our cardiac team provides the highest level of personalized care.

You can review our cardiologists’ pages and explore their exceptional credentials and dedication to providing quality care. You can trust that our doctors genuinely care about you and will do everything they can to ensure you have the best quality of life possible.

To learn more, please call (770) 962-0399 or 678-582-8586. You may also request an appointment online. If you have an emergency, don’t contact us online; please call 911.