Jad Skaf, M.D. medical contributor
heart disease in women
ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART:
MYTH: “It’s a man’s disease.”
Fact: Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease. Women
with heart disease are generally 10 years older than men at the time of presentation and most
often have a worse outcome. As a matter of fact, heart disease is the most common cause of
death and disability in women in the United States. Between the ages of 45 to 64, one in nine
women develops symptoms of some form of cardiovascular disease. After age 65, this ratio
climbs to one in three women, according to the national center for health statistics.
MYTH: “But I’m too young.”
Fact: Heart disease affects women of all ages. For younger women, the combination of
smoking and birth control pills increases heart disease risks by a rough 20%. A sedentary
lifestyle, overeating, diabetes or being pre-diabetic, high cholesterol, and a family history of
heart disease can add to that risk. You can calculate your risk of heart disease by searching
the Internet and typing the words “heart disease calculator.” You will be directed to a multitude of pages that have tools and questionnaires which will calculate your personal risk score
of developing heart disease based on large observational studies that looked at thousands
of patients.
MYTH: “I should worry more about breast cancer.”
Fact: Heart disease is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. While one in 31 women dies from breast cancer each year, heart disease claims the lives of one in three. That’s
roughly one death each minute. While it is still very important to get the proper screening for
breast and other forms of cancer, you should not do less when screening for heart disease.
120
FEBRUARY 2016
MYTH: “I am fit and eat healthy.”
Fact: Even if you are a yogi marathon-running workout fiend and a gym rat, your risk of
having heart disease isn’t completely eliminated. You could have a genetic deficiency in an
enzyme that metabolizes cholesterol well. You can be thin and have high cholesterol. Add to
that smoking, birth control pills, hypertension, glucose intolerance... And you could be heading for open heart surgery before your first child. That’s why the American Heart Association
and the American College of Cardiology recommend that you start getting your cholesterol
checked at age 20, or earlier than 20 if you have a family history of heart disease. And while
you’re at it, make sure you get your blood pressure checked.
MYTH: “My yearly check and blood tests were normal.”
Fact: You could have been born with a cardiac abnormality like a prolapsed valve, a shunt...
conditions that might require surgery. If the heart murmur or early symptoms go undetected
and untreated for too long, you could develop irreversible heart failure. You could develop
heart failure after pregnancy, which can be completely reversed in more than 50% of cases if
started on therapy early on. Do not turn a blind eye