Spotlighting Women’s Heart Health on World Heart Day

Scientists used to believe that men and women had the same physiology. With that line of thinking, if a physiological change was found in men, it just had to be the same in women. We now know this to be far from true.

Unfortunately, until recently, most of the heart research has been focused on men. Scientists would study how drugs work in male mice, male cells, male patients. In turn, women’s health often gets overlooked by researchers and physicians.

Expanding women’s health research is necessary to understand how cardiovascular disease—one of the leading causes of death in the world—can affect women disproportionally. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. This pertains to women of all ages.

Women also experience different symptoms of cardiac disease than men. It is common for symptoms of a heart attack in women to mimic anxiety symptoms. Make sure you know the common symptoms women should keep an eye out for in case of a cardiac emergency:

• Lightheadedness
• Chest discomfort
• Throat or jaw pain
• Swelling in the arms and legs
• Nausea or stomachache
• Exhaustion
• Pain in the arm

The American Physiological Society (APS) has been pivotal in advancing women’s health. In 2012, APS was one of the first societies to require researchers to publish literature with both male and female animal and human subjects and to report sex differences when they are apparent in data.

Now, 12 years after the initial movement, APS has revealed its new Women’s Health Research Initiative. This 18-month program will run throughout 2024 and 2025. The initiative’s goals include elevating the status of women’s health and highlighting the research APS members are doing to address health and disease in women.

Thanks to the initiatives by both APS and the National Institutes of Health, women’s heart health is at the forefront of basic science and clinical research. In honor of World Heart Day on September 29, we’re sharing some ways to keep your heart as happy and healthy as possible:

• Attend regular doctor visits and let your provider know if you have family history of cardiovascular disease and risks.
• Aim for a healthy diet and proper nutrition, such as a Mediterranean diet.
• Exercise for 15–30 minutes a day.
• Limit (or stop) smoking and vaping.

Remember on this World Heart Day to take care of the organ that keeps your blood pumping and to continue to advocate for women’s health research!