Beloved film and TV actress Catherine O’Hara died of a pulmonary embolism (PE)—which happens when a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs—according to a death certificate issued Monday, The Associated Press reported. The certificate also listed rectal cancer as an underlying cause of death for the star, who was 71 when she passed away on January 30—raising the possibility that the cancer played a role in causing her PE.
Research suggests having cancer makes you four to seven times more likely to develop a blood clot in a deep vein that can break off and travel to the lungs, triggering a PE. And PE is a growing threat among cancer patients, second only to the cancer itself as a cause of death for this group.
“Cancer makes your blood more prone to clotting, and certain kinds of tumors release substances that make blood even stickier,” Michelle Bloom, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and director of NYU Langone’s Cardio-Oncology Program, tells SELF. Plus, chemo can damage blood vessels. And having cancer means you’re more likely to be immobilized for prolonged periods in bed, which ups your risk too, Dr. Bloom adds.
O’Hara’s age also put her at higher risk for pulmonary embolism. Aging increases PE risk because of natural shifts in blood vessels, plus greater chance of comorbidities like cancer and heart disease. And it’s a particular threat for women, who may also experience changes in blood clotting with menopause (and hormone therapy), and face a greater burden of immobility and other conditions that raise PE risk (like metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases) than men with age.
At the same time, women of reproductive age—around 20 to 40—are also more likely than their male counterparts to wind up with PE due to hormone-related factors, Joy Gelbman, MD, a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, tells SELF. As she notes, there’s the well-documented spike in risk with pregnancy that peaks shortly after childbirth, plus the slightly elevated blood-clot risk tied to use of oral contraceptives. The latter is of particular concern for people who also smoke, Dr. Bloom points out.
To make matters worse, women may have distinct pulmonary embolism symptoms from men, which could contribute to diagnostic delays, and risk of complications and death. Read on to learn how to identify PE, and why it’s critical to seek care ASAP if you spot these signs.
7 top signs of a pulmonary embolism in women
Research suggests women may present in the hospital more commonly with shortness of breath, while men may be more likely to have chest pain or be coughing up blood, Dr. Gelbman notes. Certain studies point to other variations as well—fainting and fever may be more common in women whereas palpitations may crop up more often in men. But both doctors emphasize that people of any sex can deal with any of these symptoms and others. Here are the top ones to look out for, roughly ordered by their likelihood in women:
