Do Women Need to Worry about
Their Cholesterol Levels and Heart Disease?

Yes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in American women, and about half a million women each year die from heart disease. The increased risk of heart disease in women occurs after menopause, when levels of the female hormone estrogen are reduced. Estrogen is associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol and lower levels of LDL cholesterol, so its protective effect is lessened after menopause. It was once thought that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) would be a promising option for women, but in recent major studies not only did HRT not prevent heart disease, it was found to result in higher rates of some cancers.

It is important to note that women and men may exhibit different symptoms when having a heart attack. Where most men may feel chest pain or discomfort on the left side or other areas of the upper body, women tend to feel a burning sensation in their upper abdomen and may also experience lightheadedness, upset stomach, and sweating. A woman may not even know she is having a heart attack, dismissing the symptoms as indigestion or an upset stomach. Heart attacks are generally more severe in women, and women are 50 percent more likely than men to die in the first year after a heart attack. If you have any inkling that you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately–every minute that passes without treatment
means that more heart muscle dies.

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