Health
Heart Disease in Women: Signs Too Often Missed
29 September 2026 · Global Women's Week
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women worldwide — and symptoms often look different than the 'textbook' male presentation.
Chest-clutching pain is the symptom most people picture, but women having a heart attack are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea, back or jaw pain, and unusual fatigue — symptoms that get dismissed as stress, indigestion, or just a bad day.
Risk factors worth knowing: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history all matter — but so do pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, which are underappreciated long-term risk markers specific to women.
The everyday basics still carry the most weight: regular movement, not smoking, managing blood pressure and cholesterol, and getting enough sleep. None of it is glamorous, but it's what the research consistently backs.
Quick tips
- Know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, not just that you 'had them checked'
- Unusual fatigue plus shortness of breath is worth a same-day call to a doctor
- A history of pregnancy complications is relevant heart-health information — mention it at checkups