Women Get Heart Attacks Too

Updated July 2026

A heart attack does not always look or feel like the classic Hollywood version. The patient may not clutch their chest, may not have any symptom they associate with the heart, and may not be a “he” at all. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and heart attacks kill over three million women worldwide every year. For the bigger picture, see why heart disease is a woman's disease.

How are heart attack symptoms different in women?

Women can absolutely have the classic crushing chest pain. But compared with men, they are also more likely to have less obvious signs: trouble breathing, cold sweats, fatigue, upper back pain, chest burning, and neck or even jaw pain. No wonder these get brushed off as being out of shape, indigestion, menopause, aging, or even a dental problem, and no wonder doctors can be fooled too and miss the heart connection.

When should you get symptoms checked out?

This can get genuinely confusing, because we've all had back pain or fatigue or indigestion, and not every ache belongs in an emergency room. Here's the rule of thumb I give my patients. If a symptom is new, different, and recurring, it's worth getting evaluated at your doctor's office, especially if you have risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, a history of smoking, or a family history of heart disease. If it's new, different, and persistent, an ER visit may be the right move. Ultimately, you know your body best. If it doesn't feel right, get checked out. What's the worst that can happen? That everything turns out to be fine?

Why don't clearer guidelines exist for women?

Because of a longstanding gap in research. Women make up only about 20 to 25 percent of participants in clinical trials for heart attacks and heart therapies. That means much of the guidance on diagnosing and treating heart disease is based on evidence drawn primarily from men. But women aren't just smaller men. We're genetically different in every cell of our bodies, and that difference can affect how heart disease develops and how it shows up. Women of childbearing age have routinely been excluded from trials for nearly every disease in case they become pregnant, and perimenopausal women are sometimes excluded over concerns that hormone fluctuations could muddy results. When more than half the population is underrepresented in research, you end up with a system calibrated to men, and with women sometimes told they only think they have symptoms, or even misdiagnosed with a mental illness when they're having chest pain.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Three things. First, make sure you have a good handle on what your risk factors are and do what you can (lifestyle and medications when needed) to neutralize them. Second, if you are having symptoms advocate for yourself: saying “I'm having symptoms that are new, different, and concerning to me, and I want to make sure it's not my heart” gets attention, and then describe everything you're feeling as fully as you can. Please know that not every new, different or even classic symptom represents a potential heart disaster - but it's always better to err on the safe side. Third, if you're inclined, consider joining a clinical trial, since research on women will only improve if women participate; clinicaltrials.gov lets you search for heart-disease-in-women studies enrolling in your area.

And never lose sight of the most important truth: about 80% of heart disease need not exist at all. The best way to avoid becoming a statistic is to attend to the pillars of healthy longevity, especially nutrition.

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