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New Survey: The Hidden Threat to Women

Heart disease is women's #1 killer, and it's often misdiagnosed

SEE THE SURVEY RESULTS

Women’s Heart Alliance is getting the word out about the crisis of misdiagnosis. Watch our video and learn more about how to advocate for your heart health.

2025 Cardiologist Survey

Survey findings below are based on a survey of 88 female cardiologists conducted 11/5/24 – 1/6/25.

Most women aren't aware of the unique signs of heart disease; cardiologists say stomach pain (91%), sweating (85%) and fatigue (84%) are the most ignored.

Only 1 in 4 women treated by cardiologists know that heart disease is their #1 killer. This is dangerous, life-or-death knowledge gap that's putting women at risk every single day.

Heart disease does not discriminate based on age. 67% of female cardiologists revealed they were treating more young women than they did five years ago.

84% of female cardiologists reported treating female patients within the past year who had been misdiagnosed by other healthcare providers.

Stories of Misdiagnosis

Stories of women whose heart disease symptoms were overlooked, dismissed or misdiagnosed are all too common.

  • "The EMT advised me to breathe into a bag. He said I was having a panic attack."
    —Debbie Dunn

  • "A cardiologist said to me 'Young lady, it's not your heart. I'm sending you back to your doctor to have your nerves checked.'"
    —Vicky Ventura

  • "I was told I was having mini panic attacks, which were causing my nausea, dizziness, and pounding heart."
    —KC Maurer

  • Share Your Story

6Unique Signs of
Heart Attack in Women

CHEST PAIN OR PRESSURE

SHORTNESS OF BREATH

NAUSEA OR VOMITING

EXTREME FATIGUE

JAW, THROAT, BACK, ARM OR NECK PAIN

Women's symptoms of heart attack often are different and more subtle than men's.

Download a list of heart attack symptoms unique to women and questions to ask doctors to your phone.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PHONE CARD

“Many women go to the hospital with chest pain but they often aren’t tested for a heart attack because doctors felt they were low-risk. And they are considered low-risk because their heart disease symptoms are different than the symptoms men experience.”

— Dr. Noel Bairey Merz, WHA Scientific Advisor, Director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

“Most of what we know about heart disease has come from research done on men, designed for men. And this has greatly benefited men, but women have not fared as well.”

— Dr. Holly Andersen, WHA Medical Advisor, and director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute and attending cardiologist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

“The time is ripe for a great leap forward on behalf of gender equity… Everywhere you turn today, women – and their allies – are stepping up and speaking out.”

— Barbra Streisand, Co-Founder of the Women’s Heart Alliance