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Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S., says the CDC, causing an estimated one in five female deaths. Additionally, Black women face a higher risk of heart disease. Go Red For Women reported that 59 percent of Black women over the age of 20 have heart disease, but the majority do not know what the symptoms of a heart attack are.
Here’s what complicates matters more: the heart attack symptoms for women can differ from those for men. Recognizing signs and seeking help immediately increase the chances of a woman’s survival following a cardiac event.
Women Underreport Pain
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The University of Utah’s The Scope Radio conducted an interview with one cardiologist who explained that women underreport pain levels. Pain that men describe as a level 10, women will describe as a five. Black women are even more likely to underreport pain levels, says AMA Journal of Ethics.
