Ask the Expert: Heart disease in women
To most of the world, February has always been closely tied to the image of a heart. Maybe not the medically accurate image of a heart, with ventricles and atriums and aortas, but at least with the image of a healthy, red object that represents love. And that’s why February has also been dedicated to heart awareness, a national initiative to educate Americans on heart disease and its major causes, risks and prevention.
Specifically, women and heart disease will be our topic today as not only is heart disease the number 1 killer in America, but it can often go overlooked by the female population due to the lack of symptoms.
What is heart disease?
The team “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions, but the most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease decreases the blood flow to the heart and can lead to a heart attack.
Another type of heart disease is heart failure. This can affect the pumping mechanism of your heart. Heart disease is a serious and, unfortunately, common disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year. Put into perspective, that is a staggering 1 in every 4 deaths.
What are the risk factors for developing heart disease?
High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. According to the CDC, about half of Americans that have been diagnosed with heart disease have at least of one these three risk factors.
Diabetes is a medical condition that also increases your risk for developing heart disease, as well as several lifestyle choices like maintaining an unhealthy diet, having limited physical activity, using excessive alcohol or being overweight; these can all increase your risk for the disease.
Are there differences between men and women when it comes to symptoms of heart disease?
As mentioned before, there definitely could be a difference in the symptoms men and women experience. The scary part for women is that it may be “silent,” meaning no symptoms, and may not be apparent until you are experiencing symptoms of an actual heart attack or are in later stages of heart failure. Women may not experience classic heart attack symptoms either, such as crushing chest pain, upper back, neck or jaw pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, dizziness or shortness of breath. Sometimes, women complain of vague symptoms like fatigue or numbness in their hand or arm for example.
Men are more likely to have crushing chest pain, which is the classic symptoms most people correlate with a heart attack. That is why it is so important that women know their symptoms may not look like the classic symptoms that others experience.
What should I do if I experience any of these symptoms?
If you notice the symptoms of a heart attack in yourself or someone else, call 911 immediately. The sooner you get to an emergency room, the sooner you can get treatment to reduce the amount of damage to the heart muscle. At the hospital, health care professionals can run tests to find out if a heart attack is happening and decide the best treatment.
Can I do anything to prevent heart disease?
You can decrease your risk for heart disease by making changes to your risky behavior and maintaining a healthy lifestyle such as stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet that’s rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, limiting your alcohol intake, and exercising regularly. If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control, have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly and work with your doctor to maintain or improve them, and take your medications as prescribed.
With heart disease being so common in the United States, it is important for us to know our risk factors and how we can prevent it. We also want women to know the differences they can experience in an emergency and when to seek medical care. Awareness is key to managing Heart Disease and February is the month for it!
Erica Boggs, BSN, RN is the STEMI/Stroke Program coordinator at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. To learn more, visit iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/heart-vascular-care.
