The most frequent causes of heart failure in women are associated with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valve disease, and diabetes mellitus. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a specific cause of heart failure in women, although it is uncommon. However, after reaching menopause some symptoms of heart attack can be ignored considering the effects of menopause.
Due to the presence of estrogen in the body, women get natural protection from heart attacks and heart diseases. Estrogen works by increasing the levels of HDL cholesterol (also known as good cholesterol) and decreasing the levels of LDL cholesterol (also known as bad cholesterol). Estrogen also prevents clot formation in the blood and it relaxes blood vessels to increase blood flow.
Heart attack due to menopause
After menopause, the level of estrogen hormone in the body decreases significantly. After menopause, women are more likely to have a heart attack and die. This could be due to the sudden change in estrogen levels in the body. Explain that menopause in women can happen anytime after the age of 40, but mostly it happens when women are in their 50s.
Symptoms of heart failure in women
When a woman has a heart attack, there are symptoms like pain in the neck and upper back, indigestion, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. Women often ignore these symptoms, due to which there is a delay in recognizing the early symptoms of heart disorder. The symptoms women experience during a heart attack and menopause can be similar. It is observed that in both cases women may feel palpitations in the heart, night sweats, discomfort in the chest, fatigue, nervousness, and chest pain.
