Heart Disease in Women Summary In the United States, 1 in 4 women dies from heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease in both men and women is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease, and it happens slowly over time. It’s the major reason people have heart attacks. Heart diseases that affect women more than men include Coronary microvascular disease (MVD) – a problem that affects the heart’s tiny arteries Broken heart syndrome – extreme emotional stress leading to severe but often short-term heart muscle failure The older a woman gets, the more likely she is to get heart disease. But women of all ages should be concerned about heart disease. All women can take steps to prevent it by practicing healthy lifestyle habits. 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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Array Heart disease and women Heart Truth for Women: If You Have Heart Disease National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Heart Disease in Women Heart Truth Campaign Inspires Women’s Heart Health Action Women and Heart Disease: Sharing Advice from the Heart Women’s Heart Disease: Cindy Parsons and Follow the Fifty Women’s Heart Disease: Heart Attack Symptoms Women’s Heart Disease: Heart Disease Risk Factors Women’s Heart Disease: Join the Heart Truth Community Diagnosis and Tests How Is Heart Disease Diagnosed? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Screening Tests for Women Who Have Heart Disease National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Signs of a Heart Attack Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Treatments and Therapies How Is Heart Disease Treated? 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