Durham, N.C. - The stereotypical heart attack victim is a male in his 50s or 60s, but by that age women are just as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as men. Dr. Kristin Newby, associate professor in the Division of Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center, says many women may not even be aware they're having a heart attack, since their typical warning signs are different from men's.

"They may come in with fatigue or shortness of breath or nausea or pain in the shoulder or jaw, where men are more likely to have pressure on the chest, the 'elephant sitting on the chest,' the more classic description of a heart attack."

Newby says risk factors for men and women over 50 are virtually the same, with one exception.

"Women with diabetes have three to five times the likelihood of coronary disease as men in terms of how strong a risk factor diabetes is."

And even though heart disease kills 10 times more women over age 50 than breast cancer, Newby says there's far less awareness of the problem.

"Breast cancer is a terrifying disease. It has a lot bigger stigma and a lot more concern than heart disease traditionally."

I'm Cabell Smith for MedMinute.