Heart Disease And Women

DO WOMEN REALLY NEED TO WORRY ABOUT HEART DISEASE?

Coronary heart disease is a disease of the heart’s blood vessels that causes heart attacks. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women, claiming more female lives than the next 16 causes of death combined.

Post-reproductive age women are most at risk. However, pre-menopausal women are also at risk for cardiovascular disease if they have cardiac risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and family history of premature cardiovascular disease.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE HEART DISEASE?

Cardiovascular disease can be silent but usually has symptoms. Lack of blood flow to the heart muscle can cause symptoms of chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue and sometimes palpitations and dizziness.

Talking to your doctor about your symptoms, along with good routine follow-up care are necessary first steps to determine if any further evaluation is necessary. Many cardiac risk factors can be controlled, modified or eliminated, including hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, smoking and obesity/physical inactivity.

Women show different signs than men do prior to a heart attack. Nearly 90% of women with a heart attack will have chest pain the same as men. Historically, however, chest pain has not been perceived to be of great prognostic value in women or a great clue that heart disease is really present.

Chest pain can have different origins and women can experience uncharacteristic features of cardiac chest discomfort. The likelihood of chest pain coming from the heart depends to a great extent on the person's particular cardiac risk profile.

For example, a pre-menopausal woman who smokes is as likely to have cardiac chest pain as a postmenopausal woman with hypertension. All chest discomfort in women must be taken seriously and evaluated for its source, whether cardiac or otherwise. One should not wait to seek medical attention if there are symptoms of chest discomfort with or without physical exertion.

Some studies have shown that women who tell their doctors about chest pain are not treated as aggressively as are men. Women who are not satisfied with a physician’s evaluation of their chest discomfort should be persistent and seek another opinion.

WHAT ARE PVCs AND ARE THEY DANGEROUS?

A woman's system changes as she enters menopause and can result in PVCs (premature ventricular contractions). A woman who experiences irregular heart beats or *PVCs* may have extra beats that are relatively harmless or it may be a sign of some form of heart disease.

If a woman has palpitations (the sensation of fast and/or irregular heartbeat) or other symptoms such as dizziness or shortness of breath, she should inform her doctor. Your doctor can take a careful history and perform a physical exam.

In some cases, further testing of your heart may be necessary to determine the specific heart rhythm that may be causing the sensation of palpitations. In some individuals, caffeine products, alcohol and stress can provoke extra beats.

Menopause alone does not predispose a woman to palpitations unless she has other medical conditions or cardiac risk factors that could lead to heart disease. However, menopause creates an estrogen-deficient state that poses a risk to the cardiovascular system. This is because estrogens have a number of properties that protect the blood vessels and lowers LDL-cholesterol levels, while raising the HDL-cholesterol.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST FACTORS THAT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES FOR HEART DISEASE?

The three biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease that you can do something about are:

* Cigarette smoking

* High blood pressure

* High blood cholesterol

Other risk factors:

* Diabetes, or high blood sugar, is a serious disorder that raises the risk of coronary heart disease. The risk of death from heart disease is about three times higher in women with diabetes.

* Diabetic women also are more apt to have high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.

* The risk of heart attack or stroke is higher for women who both smoke and use high-dose birth control pills (oral contraceptives).

* Excess body weight in women is linked with coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and death from heart-related causes. The more overweight you are, the higher your risk is for heart disease and many other ailments and diseases.

* Studies show that physical inactivity is a risk factor for heart disease. Heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people as in those more active.

Just one risk factor will raise your chances of having heart-related problems. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop cardiovascular diseases.

HOW CAN YOU REDUCE YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE?

General recommendations to avoid heart disease:

* Quit smoking

* Cut back on foods high in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol

* Check blood pressure and cholesterol levels

* Get more exercise

* Lose weight if you are overweight

Regular physical activity can help you reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. Being active helps women take off extra pounds, helps to control blood pressure, lessens a diabetic's need for insulin, and boosts the level of *good* HDL-cholesterol.

CAN DIET AND EXERCISE REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Following a low fat, low cholesterol diet, and regular exercise plan are excellent health habits for all to follow. They help lower blood lipid analysis, blood pressure and blood sugar. These are all factors that contribute to the development of arteriosclerosis (hardening and blockage of the blood vessels).

Physically active women have an approximately 75% lower risk of heart disease than sedentary women. Being physically active does not necessarily mean an aggressive exercise regimen. It can be simple activities like daily walking, climbing stairs, gardening etc. Unfortunately, however, over 50% of all women in the U.S. are physically inactive.