Why heart disease may be a bigger health threat than cancer for women in their 40s
A viral X post about a 42-year-old woman whose heart disease was mistaken for anxiety has sparked fresh concerns about how cardiovascular disease often presents differently in women, leading to delayed diagnosis despite remaining a leading cause of death.
A 42-year-old woman's symptoms were dismissed as anxiety. Doctors later discovered heart disease, highlighting a growing concern: many women fail to recognise the warning signs of cardiovascular disease until it's too late.
A recent X post by cardiologist Afshine Emrani recounting the case of a 42-year-old mother whose symptoms were initially dismissed as anxiety has sparked a wider conversation about women's heart health.
The woman, an active half-marathon runner, sought medical help for jaw pain and crushing fatigue. Her ECG appeared normal and she was prescribed anxiety medication. Further testing, however, revealed severe microvascular disease – a condition affecting the tiny blood vessels of the heart that can be missed on standard tests and angiograms.
While the story has resonated online because of the delayed diagnosis, experts say it points to a much larger problem. Many women are highly aware of cancer risks and regularly discuss cancer screening, but far fewer recognise heart disease as a major threat to their health.
Despite being the leading cause of death among women worldwide, heart disease often receives less attention than breast cancer and other conditions. As a result, many women underestimate their cardiovascular risk and may overlook symptoms that warrant medical attention.
Her story reflects a larger problem. Despite heart disease being the leading cause of death among women worldwide, many women do not see themselves at risk and often fail to recognise the warning signs.
WOMEN WORRY ABOUT CANCER, BUT HEART DISEASE REMAINS THE BIGGER THREAT
Cardiologists say one of the biggest misconceptions about women's health is that heart disease is primarily a man's disease.
While awareness campaigns have significantly improved public understanding of breast and cervical cancer, awareness of cardiovascular disease in women remains comparatively low. This perception gap means many women are more likely to recognise potential cancer symptoms than early warning signs of heart disease.
"One of the biggest misconceptions in women's health is that heart disease is primarily a man's disease. Lower awareness translates into reduced screening, delayed diagnosis, inadequate risk assessment and missed opportunities for prevention," said Dr Ranita Saha, Cardiologist at CK Birla Hospitals, BM Birla Heart Hospital.
Experts say women in their 40s are particularly important to focus on because this is often the decade when cardiovascular risk factors begin to emerge. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, elevated cholesterol levels and menopause-related hormonal changes can all increase the risk of future heart disease.
Many women in this age group are balancing careers, caregiving responsibilities and family commitments, often putting their own health last. As a result, symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and chest discomfort may be attributed to stress rather than investigated further.
According to doctors, recognising cardiovascular risk early and seeking timely medical attention can significantly improve outcomes.
WHY HEART DISEASE IS OFTEN MISSED IN WOMEN
For decades, heart disease has largely been understood through a male lens. The classic image of a heart attack – severe chest pain radiating down the left arm – does not always reflect how cardiovascular disease presents in women.
As a result, symptoms are often mistaken for stress, anxiety, hormonal changes, fatigue or digestive issues. This can delay diagnosis, treatment and, in some cases, life-saving care.
According to the viral X post, women with STEMI heart attacks have a 59% higher likelihood of being misdiagnosed than men, while women with NSTEMI heart attacks face a 41% greater risk of misdiagnosis.
THE HEART ATTACK SIGNS WOMEN SHOULD NOT IGNORE
While chest pain remains the most common symptom of a heart attack, women frequently experience other warning signs that may appear less obvious.
These include:
Extreme or unexplained fatigue
Jaw pain
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Neck pain
Upper back pain
Nausea or vomiting
Breathlessness
Dizziness or light-headedness
Indigestion-like discomfort
Mild chest discomfort or pressure
Dr Ranita Saha, Cardiologist at CK Birla Hospitals, BM Birla Heart Hospital, said these symptoms are often mistaken for less serious conditions.
"These symptoms can resemble conditions such as acidity, stress, menopause-related changes or fatigue. As a result, many women fail to recognise them as cardiac warning signs and may delay seeking medical attention," she said.
WHY WOMEN IN THEIR 40S SHOULD PAY ATTENTION
Cardiologists say the 40s can be a crucial decade for heart health.
This is often when risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and cholesterol abnormalities begin to emerge. At the same time, hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and menopause can influence cardiovascular health.
“Menopause is an important turning point, as declining estrogen levels can negatively affect blood vessels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels,” said Dr Dhaval Naik, Cardiac & Heart Transplant Surgeon at Marengo CIMS Hospital, Ahmedabad.
Experts say women in this age group should pay attention to unexplained symptoms, undergo regular health check-ups and understand their personal cardiovascular risk profile.
THE RISK FACTORS MANY WOMEN OVERLOOK
Some of the most important cardiovascular risk factors in women often go unnoticed.
Pregnancy is increasingly recognised as a woman's first cardiovascular stress test, and complications during pregnancy can offer important clues about future heart health.
Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes have all been linked to a higher long-term risk of heart disease and stroke.
"Pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension can significantly increase the risk of future heart disease," Dr Naik said.
Other major risk factors include:
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Smoking
High cholesterol
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis
Family history of heart disease
EARLY DETECTION CAN SAVE LIVES
Experts say women should not dismiss persistent fatigue, unexplained breathlessness, jaw pain, nausea or upper back discomfort as routine stress or exhaustion.
Regular health screenings, blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring, diabetes control, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and avoiding smoking can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
As the viral X post highlights, recognising that heart disease in women often looks different from the textbook image of a heart attack could help reduce missed diagnoses and ensure more women receive timely, potentially life-saving treatment.
A 42-year-old woman's symptoms were dismissed as anxiety. Doctors later discovered heart disease, highlighting a growing concern: many women fail to recognise the warning signs of cardiovascular disease until it's too late.
A recent X post by cardiologist Afshine Emrani recounting the case of a 42-year-old mother whose symptoms were initially dismissed as anxiety has sparked a wider conversation about women's heart health.
The woman, an active half-marathon runner, sought medical help for jaw pain and crushing fatigue. Her ECG appeared normal and she was prescribed anxiety medication. Further testing, however, revealed severe microvascular disease – a condition affecting the tiny blood vessels of the heart that can be missed on standard tests and angiograms.
While the story has resonated online because of the delayed diagnosis, experts say it points to a much larger problem. Many women are highly aware of cancer risks and regularly discuss cancer screening, but far fewer recognise heart disease as a major threat to their health.
Despite being the leading cause of death among women worldwide, heart disease often receives less attention than breast cancer and other conditions. As a result, many women underestimate their cardiovascular risk and may overlook symptoms that warrant medical attention.
Her story reflects a larger problem. Despite heart disease being the leading cause of death among women worldwide, many women do not see themselves at risk and often fail to recognise the warning signs.
WOMEN WORRY ABOUT CANCER, BUT HEART DISEASE REMAINS THE BIGGER THREAT
Cardiologists say one of the biggest misconceptions about women's health is that heart disease is primarily a man's disease.
While awareness campaigns have significantly improved public understanding of breast and cervical cancer, awareness of cardiovascular disease in women remains comparatively low. This perception gap means many women are more likely to recognise potential cancer symptoms than early warning signs of heart disease.
"One of the biggest misconceptions in women's health is that heart disease is primarily a man's disease. Lower awareness translates into reduced screening, delayed diagnosis, inadequate risk assessment and missed opportunities for prevention," said Dr Ranita Saha, Cardiologist at CK Birla Hospitals, BM Birla Heart Hospital.
Experts say women in their 40s are particularly important to focus on because this is often the decade when cardiovascular risk factors begin to emerge. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, elevated cholesterol levels and menopause-related hormonal changes can all increase the risk of future heart disease.
Many women in this age group are balancing careers, caregiving responsibilities and family commitments, often putting their own health last. As a result, symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and chest discomfort may be attributed to stress rather than investigated further.
According to doctors, recognising cardiovascular risk early and seeking timely medical attention can significantly improve outcomes.
WHY HEART DISEASE IS OFTEN MISSED IN WOMEN
For decades, heart disease has largely been understood through a male lens. The classic image of a heart attack – severe chest pain radiating down the left arm – does not always reflect how cardiovascular disease presents in women.
As a result, symptoms are often mistaken for stress, anxiety, hormonal changes, fatigue or digestive issues. This can delay diagnosis, treatment and, in some cases, life-saving care.
According to the viral X post, women with STEMI heart attacks have a 59% higher likelihood of being misdiagnosed than men, while women with NSTEMI heart attacks face a 41% greater risk of misdiagnosis.
THE HEART ATTACK SIGNS WOMEN SHOULD NOT IGNORE
While chest pain remains the most common symptom of a heart attack, women frequently experience other warning signs that may appear less obvious.
These include:
Extreme or unexplained fatigue
Jaw pain
Neck pain
Upper back pain
Nausea or vomiting
Breathlessness
Dizziness or light-headedness
Indigestion-like discomfort
Mild chest discomfort or pressure
Dr Ranita Saha, Cardiologist at CK Birla Hospitals, BM Birla Heart Hospital, said these symptoms are often mistaken for less serious conditions.
"These symptoms can resemble conditions such as acidity, stress, menopause-related changes or fatigue. As a result, many women fail to recognise them as cardiac warning signs and may delay seeking medical attention," she said.
WHY WOMEN IN THEIR 40S SHOULD PAY ATTENTION
Cardiologists say the 40s can be a crucial decade for heart health.
This is often when risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and cholesterol abnormalities begin to emerge. At the same time, hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and menopause can influence cardiovascular health.
“Menopause is an important turning point, as declining estrogen levels can negatively affect blood vessels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels,” said Dr Dhaval Naik, Cardiac & Heart Transplant Surgeon at Marengo CIMS Hospital, Ahmedabad.
Experts say women in this age group should pay attention to unexplained symptoms, undergo regular health check-ups and understand their personal cardiovascular risk profile.
THE RISK FACTORS MANY WOMEN OVERLOOK
Some of the most important cardiovascular risk factors in women often go unnoticed.
Pregnancy is increasingly recognised as a woman's first cardiovascular stress test, and complications during pregnancy can offer important clues about future heart health.
Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes have all been linked to a higher long-term risk of heart disease and stroke.
"Pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension can significantly increase the risk of future heart disease," Dr Naik said.
Other major risk factors include:
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Smoking
High cholesterol
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis
Family history of heart disease
EARLY DETECTION CAN SAVE LIVES
Experts say women should not dismiss persistent fatigue, unexplained breathlessness, jaw pain, nausea or upper back discomfort as routine stress or exhaustion.
Regular health screenings, blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring, diabetes control, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and avoiding smoking can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
As the viral X post highlights, recognising that heart disease in women often looks different from the textbook image of a heart attack could help reduce missed diagnoses and ensure more women receive timely, potentially life-saving treatment.
