Self Here s How Different Heart Failure Stages Impact Your Body Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 01 February 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Self Here s How Different Heart Failure Stages Impact Your Body Women can experience different heart failure symptoms than men do, according to Cedars-Sinai experts. Photo by Getty Images. Self recently spoke with Chrisandra Shufelt, MD, MS, associate director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, about how heart failure affects women. By age 40, women have a 1 in 5 lifetime chance of developing the condition, which occurs when the heart fails to effectively pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body, according to the article. Women are more likely than men to have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction—the heart pumps normally but fails to fill properly. This means that symptoms are less noticeable until the condition progresses. Women also can experience different heart failure symptoms than men do. "It might not be chest pain," Shufelt told Self. Shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and pain in the stomach or back could be signs of trouble. Shufelt urged women to see a healthcare provider if they experience these symptoms consistently or have contributing risk factors including autoimmune disorders, history of certain chemotherapy drugs, peripartum cardiomyopathy, or viral infection that affects the heart, including COVID-19. Patients at high risk of developing heart failure might not experience any symptoms at first, but later can progress to full-blown heart disease requiring surgical intervention. Because heart disease can begin decades before symptoms appear, Shufelt stressed the importance of a heart-healthy lifestyle as a means of prevention. "The habits you develop now will affect your heart 10, 20 or 30 years down the road," Shufelt told Self. "Such habits include regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, not smoking, and not being around people who smoke." Click here to read the complete article from Self. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Self Here s How Different Heart Failure Stages Impact Your Body Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home