Most people associate chest pain and shortness of breath with heart disease. But, heart disease often presents much differently in women than their male counterparts, which may be why so many women fall victim to heart disease each year. Unlike men, women are more likely to experience pain unrelated to their chest. Some of the more common symptoms of a heart attack in women include neck, shoulder, upper back and abdominal pain, and shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, sweating and dizziness. Because these symptoms tend to be less severe than the traditional chest pain associated with a heart attack, many women delay going to the hospital until the damage has already been done to their heart. To prevent heart disease, it's important for women to be aware of their risk factors. In addition to the common risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol, hypertension and obesity, women also need to be aware that other factors could put them at an increased risk for heart disease. For example, mental stress, depression and smoking all tend to affect women more than men. Women also need to be mindful that low levels of estrogen following menopause could increase their risk of cardiovascular disease.