| Women
and Heart Disease
Cardiovascular
disease should concern every woman. More women die from
heart disease than any other cause. The statistics are
very sobering. Almost half of all women will die of heart
disease or stroke, compared with 1 in 25 women who will
die of breast cancer.
One in 10 women age 45 to 64 has some form of heart disease. The figure
grows to one in five for women age 65 and above. Another 1.6 million
women have suffered a stroke. Heart disease and stroke are known as cardiovascular
diseases, which are serious disorders of the heart and blood vessel system.
Although most people know that crushing pain in the chest and sharp pain
in the left arm are symptoms of heart attack – few realize that
those symptoms are more likely to be suffered by men than women. Women
often experience subtler symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, and
fatigue.
The physicians, nurses and other medical staff affiliated with the
OSF Saint Anthony Regional Heart Institute know that women and men
sometimes experience symptoms
of heart disease. They also know that prevention is the best medicine
when it comes to cardiovascular disease.
If you are healthy and have no history or symptoms of cardiovascular
disease, you can help catch it early by having your blood pressure checked
at least every two years and have a blood cholesterol test every five
years. Your doctor may recommend more frequent measurements if your levels
are abnormal.
Any time you have a significant cardiovascular condition, you may require
the attention of a cardiologist, a physician who is highly trained in
diseases of the heart. Symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain,
or dizzy spells often require special testing. Most importantly, cardiologists
are experts in diagnosing and treating heart attacks, heart failure and
other heart-related conditions.
If
you suspect you have a heart problem, visit your doctor.
Your primary-care physician may recommend a cardiologist
or you can suggest a cardiologist affiliated with the
Regional Heart Institute. You can feel confident that
the physicians of the Regional Heart Institute know
that
women have special health needs. If you have a question,
please call (815) 395-5493.
Links
Cardiac
Heart Disease Risk Assesment
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/chd1/tx2.asp
The
Healthy Heart Handbook for Women--2003 Edition
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/hhw/index.htm
American
Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200011
The
Heart Truth
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/index.htm
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| New
guidelines to prevent cardiovascular disease in women |
Major
Risk Factors
Extensive research has identified the major heart disease risk factors for women.
Although there is nothing you can do to change risk factors such as your age
or heredity, there are many other that you can influence. The following is a
list of some of the major cardiovascular disease risk factors for women.
Smoking. Either stop or don't start
smoking. Cigarette smoking is the most common preventable cause of premature
death. Women who smoke increase their heart disease up to 400 percent.
Physical inactivity. Physically
active women reduce their heart disease risk between 60 and 75 percent.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as a
brisk walk) each day.
Obesity and overweight. Those
who are more than 30 percent over their ideal body weight increase
the risk of developing heart disease.
Stress and depression. The
body's physiological reaction to high levels of sustained
stress include increased blood pressure. Depression, which
is more likely to affect women, is also dangerous to the
heart.
High blood pressure. High
blood pressure puts more stress on the heart workload,
weakening it over time. It also increases the risk of stroke,
heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure.
Aim for a blood pressure of 120 systolic (top) and 80 diastolic
(bottom).
High cholesterol and high triglycerides. Women
with total cholesterol over 200 are more likely to have heart
disease. The goal is to have an LDL ("bad" cholesterol)
lower than 160, HDL ("good" cholesterol) over 45,
and to keep triglycerides to 200 or even lower.
Diabetes. Diabetes
is a more powerful risk factor in women than men. Women
with diabetes have a 300 to 700 percent greater chance
of developing heart disease. If you have diabetes,
work with your doctor to control your risk factors.
Estrogen replacement therapy
(ERT). The risks (and benefits) of ERT
are a little less well-defined, although studies are
in progress that should help clarify this area. Currently,
this decision should be made between you and your doctor. |
To learn more, call the Regional
Heart Institute at OSF Saint Anthony at (815) 395-5493 or e-mail
community.relations@osfhealthcare.org. |
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