Today is National Wear Red Day, which raises awareness of how often women have heart disease. In fact, there are some heart conditions that primarily affect women – even younger women – that many people may not recognize.
One serious condition that usually affects women between 30 and 50 years old, nearly a third of whom recently had children, is called SCAD: spontaneous coronary artery dissection. The coronary artery tears causing blood to become trapped, which then blocks the artery and triggers a heart attack. Because SCAD and other heart problems may not have visible warning signs, it’s very important for women to know the signs of a heart attack – such as chest pressure or pain, shortness of breath, sudden sweating and dizziness and more – to act quickly.
Read about SCAD and what women should know about heart disease below.
