We continue to monitor COVID-19, flu and other respiratory viruses in our communities. Read the most current information about prevention, testing and where to go if you're sick.

COVID-19 Information

Her Heart Health

A Woman's Heart Is Different

Many women may not experience chest pain. Their warning signs are non-specific and often easily overlooked. In fact only 40% of women having a heart attack actually realized they are. Women are more likely than men to experience the other common symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Woman's Warning Signs:

  • Pain or pressure in the chest, upper back, jaw or neck
  • Shortness of breath
  • Flu-like symptoms: nausea or vomiting, cold sweats
  • Unexplained weakness or fatigue
  • Feelings of anxiety, loss of appetite, malaise
  • Sense of impending doom

Knowing the facts can better prepare you to take a more proactive role in helping combat heart disease in yourself and those you love.

Please, take a few minutes to review some of these surprising statistics:

  • Women tend to develop heart disease about 10 years later than men. However, heart disease continues to be the #1 killer of women in the United States. 
  • Today, more women than men are likely to die of heart disease. In 1983, it was the other way around. This is due, in part, to women being older and having other significant health problems at the time a heart attack occurs. 
  • Only 40% of women who were having a heart attack actually thought they were, because they didn’t experience pain in their chest. 
  • Only 25% of women who should be taking aspirin therapy (a baby aspirin each day to protect their heart) are actually doing so. 
  • Minority women in particular are at risk for heart disease – nearly half of African-American women have some form of heart disease, compared to 32% for Caucasian women. 
  • Awareness of heart disease as the #1 killer of women has increased by 23% in the last five years, from 34% to 57%. Yet 43 million women are still living with heart disease. 
  • People who are physically active reduce their risk of developing coronary heart disease by up to 50% and decrease their risk of premature death by 20-30%. 
  • Of the 1 million people per year who die of cardiovascular diseases, 53% are women. 
  • Only 8% of women consider cardiovascular disease their greatest health risk, yet nearly 1 in 2 will die of it. Whereas only 1 in every 33 women will succumb to breast cancer. 
  • People who are 30 pounds or more overweight are more likely to develop heart disease even if they have no other risk factors. 
  • The number of people with diabetes is growing at a rate of up to 10% per year. 
  • Having diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart failure 2- to 6-fold. 
  • Having hypertension doubles the risk for cardiovascular disease and heart failure.

For more information on heart attack treatment, call us at 314-996-3627 or contact us online.

Related Heart Content

Find a Doctor or Make an Appointment

Our new search tool will help you choose a doctor or health care provider that is best for you or your family.

Search Now

Mitral Valve Replacement

When Tina needed a new mitral valve, she benefited from BJC HealthCare’s collaborative approach to care that connected her with a multidisciplinary team of heart specialists. Her journey included seamless coordination between medical teams at two BJC HealthCare facilities: Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MoBap).

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Dr. Stewart Gets a “Second Chance at Life” After Heart Attack

Todd Stewart, MD, is no stranger to critically ill patients and life-saving procedures. As a spinal neurosurgeon and chief of neurosurgery at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, it’s all in a day’s work. But it came as a shock when he suffered a life-threatening heart attack last year.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Washington University Heart Failure Center at Missouri Baptist

At the Washington University Heart Failure Center at Missouri Baptist, we use a team approach to develop an individualized plan of care for you to manage your disease.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Helps Tom Return to the Basketball Court

Tom Caspari thought he was too healthy to have a heart attack.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Cardiac Testing at Missouri Baptist Medical Center

Diagnosing a heart condition often requires a combination of cardiovascular diagnostic and screening tests. These advanced tests can often determine the existence, type and severity of heart disease.

At Missouri Baptist Medical Center, our Cardiac Diagnostics Center is equipped with advanced technology and expertly trained staff to conducts these tests. Your test results will be evaluated by a board-certified cardiologist on staff at MoBap and discussed with your physician to tailor a treatment plan for your specific condition.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

MoBap Celebrates 1,000 TAVR Case Milestone

On December 6, 2022, Missouri Baptist Medical Center performed its 1,000th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

“We are proud to reach this milestone,” says Michael Mauney, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon on staff at Missouri Baptist. “MoBap was among the first medical centers in the nation to adopt this procedure following FDA approval in Fall 2011.”

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure for replacing a stenotic (tight) aortic valve in which the aortic valve narrows, reducing blood flow from the heart to the aorta. This procedure can also replace failed artificial aortic and mitral valves. TAVR is a treatment option to be considered for those with severe aortic stenosis, including many with worn-out surgical valves.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right
Stock photo of young family in kitchen preparing healthy meal

Online Heart Health Assessment

Are you at risk for a heart attack? Learn about your risk factors with our online heart health assessment tool and find help for improving your results.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Heart Matters: Father-Son Heart Surgery Strengthens Bond

When the need for surgery arose, this close-knit family made the decision to travel to St. Louis for a second opinion and care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MoBap). However, Matt and Bill never expected to be in the hospital at the same time, much less have heart surgery on the same day.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Understanding Arrhythmia

We want to help you understand everything there is to know about arrhythmia, why they occur, how they are diagnosed and treated, and what options may be right for you.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Getting Clara to the Beach

Clara Freeman anxiously anticipated attending her oldest granddaughter's beach wedding.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Heart Valve Center: Your Heart in Good Hands

If you have been diagnosed with a heart valve problem, you are not alone.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Cardiac Surgeons Discuss Valve Disease and New Treatment Methods

Cardiac surgeons at MoBap talk about valve disease and new treatment methods, including minimally invasive surgery.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Missouri Baptist Heart Center Symposium: Unstable STEMI Patient

Friday, February 28, 2025
8 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel - Chesterfield
16625 Swingley Ridge Rd.
Chesterfield, MO 63017

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right
Melissa and Chris post on the sofa with family photos all around.

Early Intervention Makes the Difference

Melissa Ham’s voice is still a little shaky when she recalls being told that her husband, Chris, had about a 1-in-3 chance of surviving the heart attack that occurred at their home on July 13, 2016.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Heart Valve Surgery Gives New Lease on Life

Looking forward to resuming their active lifestyle in 2022, Connie and Arlin have two trips planned early in the year. Connie said that her heart surgery has given her a new lease on life. "Every time I'm at Missouri Baptist, I feel cared for, listened to and taken seriously. I always tell people that if you have heart problems, go to MoBap."

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Living (Well) With Congestive Heart Failure

Follow these tips to live a healthier life with congestive heart failure.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Synchronizing Heart Care Offers Patient a New Lease on Life

Nathaniel (Nate) Rentz, 63, is alive today thanks to the expertise and coordinated care of medical teams at Progress West Hospital and the advanced cardiac care team at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

An Unexpected Journey of the Heart

When it came time for LaTisha (Tish) Smith of Belleville, Ill., to tell her family that she was having surgery, the hardest conversation was with her 9-year-old son, Lee.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

The transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure allows a team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to insert a new valve inside a diseased valve without open heart surgery. The new valve is put in place through a catheter that is inserted through the groin or between the ribs. 

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Recovery is a Journey

Scott Winder had been having trouble breathing and wasn’t sleeping well. Like many people do, he dismissed the symptoms until one day at work, his suddenly racing heart, sweating and worsening breathing problems sent him to the  Emergency Department at Parkland Health Center in Farmington.

Scott walked through the doors of the emergency room and collapsed.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Heart Health Tips

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.  There are several risk factors that contribute to heart disease.  Some risk factors, including gender, age and family history are uncontrollable, while other risk factors can be modified with lifestyle changes.  Learn how you can make changes to improve your heart health.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

Starting Your Heart Health Journey

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for "men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States." However, heart disease can be present with no symptoms until a significant event happens, like a stroke or heart attack.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right

New Technology for Treating Cardiac Arrhythmias

The new technology at MoBap — robotic magnetic navigation (RMN) — introduces the benefits of robotic precision and safety to cardiac ablation, a common, minimally invasive procedure used to treat arrhythmias

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right
Dr. Higano continues to follow up care with Ira.

An Alliance to Save Lives by Saving Time

On Dec. 5, 2017, 57-year-old Ira Schalk began to feel nauseous on his job at a lead mining operation near Viburnum, Mo. For days he had felt tired, but thought it might be the flu. It wasn’t.

Learn More keyboard_arrow_right