February is Heart Month

Every February, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada organizes Heart Month to help raise awareness about the warning signs and risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke. Unfortunately, despite these efforts, heart attacks remain a leading cause of premature death, especially among women. Here’s what you should know.

What’s the problem?

Heart attacks in women are often misdiagnosed. One reason for this is that they frequently experience different and subtler symptoms than men.

But even classic heart attack indicators such as chest pain and shortness of breath may be attributed to something else, with medical staff often dismissing these markers as signs of benign conditions. Anxiety, digestive issues or reproductive and menstrual problems may be pointed to, and women, especially those who are younger, might explain away their own symptoms in this manner.

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