"Cardiac disorder symptoms in women are fewer than men and hence diagnosis many a times is delayed due to late detection of the symptoms", Sugandhi Gopal, Consultant Cardiologist of Wockhardt Hospitals, said in Bangalore.

"Another reason for late diagnosis of heart attack in women is the peculiar manifestation of the symptoms," she said.

Timely diagnosis is only possible if women are sufficiently aware of risk factors, she said, adding that women can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease if they have information they need and know the questions to ask their health care providers.

Wockhardt on Friday unveiled "Women & Heart" initiative as part of national 'Wear Red' day – a day dedicated to creating awareness about heart disease in women and also launched a booklet "Heart to heart: A guide to understand women's heart disease".

Wockhardt Hospitals CEO Vishal Bali said the initiative is aimed at educating women and making them aware of the need to be heart smart. "We want to bust certain myths that heart disease only happens to men. (In India) 2.5 million people succumb to heart attacks every year and one-third of them are women. Women are as prone to heart disease as men are", he said.