One of the most common symptoms of cardiovascular disease is chest pain. Research has suggested, however, that women tend to experience chest pain differently from men. In women, the chest pain may be more diffuse or resemble abdominal pain more than in men. Also, studies have found that women are more likely than men to be told that their symptoms are due to stress or an unrelated issue. In fact, some findings do indicate that some women are more prone to psychological and/or stress-related chest pain than men. However, chest pain in both men and women needs to be evaluated for the possibility of heart disease.

The list of heart disease symptoms that are often reported by women is called the “ABCs” by experts:

• Angina or chest pain. This is often felt as tightness in the chest that sometimes radiates down the left side or up to the jaw. It may be mistaken by a physician and/or patient as indigestion, a toothache or temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ, an aching jaw.)
  
  
• Breathlessness. This can include fairly regular shortness of breath (dyspnea), particularly when exercising, or only nighttime breathing difficulties while lying down.
  
  
• Chronic fatigue (feeling very tired or run down all the time).
  
  
• Dizziness. In some cases, women may even faint (syncope).
  
  
• Edema (swelling), particularly in the lower body (ankles and lower legs).
  
  
• Fluttering, also known as rapid heartbeats or palpitations.
  
  
• Gastric upset, nausea or indigestion-like symptoms.

Women who are concerned about their heart health are urged to seek a second opinion if they are not satisfied with the first.