Page 5 - RVO What Women Want Feb 2016

What Women Want • An Advertising Supplement to the River Valley & Ozark Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette • Sunday, February 7, 2016 • 5VV
WARNING signs Heart-attack symptoms differ between men and women
BY SARAH DECLERK SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
Most television viewers are familiar with the heart-attack trope in which a character, often an angry man, clutches his chest
and collapses. Although both men and women may experience chest pain during a heart attack, women’s symptoms tend to be less dramatic than those portrayed by Hollywood.
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease refers to a variety of problems, many of which are caused by atherosclerosis, which occurs when hard plaque accumulates on the artery walls, restricting blood flow. If a blood clot blocks an artery that leads to the heart, the clot can cause a heart attack.
“Heart disease has been thought of as a ‘man’s disease,’ yet it is the No. 1 cause of death in women in the United States,” said Gray Wagnon, an ad- vanced-practice registered nurse with the Conway Heart Clinic. “Since the 1980s, the number of women who die from cardiovas- cular disease has exceeded that of males,” she said.
There are about 8 million women in the U.S. living with heart disease, which accounts for one in four female deaths, she said.
Risk factors
A variety of factors increase a woman’s risk of developing heart disease. Key risk factors are high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and smoking, Wagnon said, adding that wom- en who smoke may have a heart attack 19 years earlier than their nonsmoking counterparts.
Other risk factors include obesity, poor diet, physical in- activity, excessive alcohol use and diabetes, she said. Women who have diabetes are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack than those who do not, she said.
In addition, the risk of car- diovascular disease increases after menopause as a result of a drop in estrogen levels, she said, and African American and Latina women are more likely to develop heart disease than white women.
Warning signs
Chest pain is a classic heart-attack symptom in men, hence the image of a man clutching his chest in pain during a heart attack. Although women may also experience
QA
with Jeff Craig, M.D., Central Arkansas Pediatrics, Conway
Q. I believe my child is up to date on his immunizations. Why do I still need to come for a yearly wellness visit?
A. Yearly wellness visits are necessary to evaluate your child’s physical, emotional and social development. Each stage of life brings new things. It’s important to remember that every child is unique. Wellness visits provide an opportunity to discuss what to expect in the upcoming year of your child’s life so that you, as a caregiver, can be as prepared as possible. Also, immunization recommendations may change. Your provider can verify that your child is current on immunizations, according to the most re- cent recommendations. Summer is a great time to schedule your child’s annual wellness visit with his or her health care provider.
chest pain during a heart at- tack, their symptoms tend to be more subtle, Wagnon said.
In addition to pain and dis- comfort in the chest, left arm or back, warning signs of heart attacks in women include an unusually rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, extreme weakness and sweating, she said.
Get help
“If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to call your health care provid- er, especially if these are new symptoms or if they have be- come more frequent or severe,” Wagnon said.
If someone is having a heart attack, it is crucial to call 911 to ensure a fast response, she said, adding that treating a heart at- tack within 90 minutes greatly increases the patient’s ability to survive.
New technologies have en- abled health care providers to respond to heart attacks even faster, she said. The ambulanc- es provided by Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services now include electrocardiogram monitoring equipment that al- lows emergency medical tech- nicians to send readings direct- ly to Conway Regional Medical Center’s emergency room and cardiac catheterization labora- tory, she said.
Prevention
Fortunately, there are many ways women can guard them- selves against heart disease. One important step is to talk with health care providers about minimizing risk factors. This can help women with high risk factors stay ahead of the disease.
If either of a women’s par- ents have cardiovascular dis- ease, especially if they were diagnosed before age 50, she should start discussing heart health with her health care pro- vider in early adulthood, Wag- non said, adding that women who smoke or have diabetes or a family history of heart disease
Although chest pain is a common symptom of heart attacks in men, women’s symptoms may be more subtle.
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should have that conversation around age 20. Others can wait until they are 45, she said.
Living a healthy lifestyle can also help women reduce their risk factors. To avoid cardiovas- cular disease, women should exercise five to six times a week, get annual medical checkups and not smoke, Wagnon said. “[Physical activity] is your own free stress test,” she said.
Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight also reduce a woman’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which is an even stronger contributing risk factor for heart disease in women than in men, she said.
Numbers
A health care provider takes various measurements to determine a woman’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The following are some heart-healthy measurements.
➤ Blood pressure: less than 140/85
High blood pressure in- creases a woman’s risk of heart disease, Wagnon said. Blood pressure that is at or above 140/85 is considered high, and blood pressure that is be- tween 120/80 and 140/85 is considered pre-hypertension, which research suggests may be more harmful than previously thought, she said.
➤ HDL cholesterol: greater than 50 mg/dL for women
HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, aids in removing cholesterol from the blood, Wagnon said, adding that HDL cholesterol levels greater than 50 milligrams per deciliter of blood in women and 40 mg/ dL in men can help protect the body against heart disease.
➤ LDL cholesterol: less than 100 mg/dL
LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol, contributes to heart disease by clogging the arteries, Wagnon said. Although some charts show that 160 mg/dL is acceptable for people with a low risk of heart disease, 100 mg/dL is optimal, she said, adding that people with active heart disease or high risk factors should aim for even lower LDL cholesterol levels – 70 mg/dL.
➤ Triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL
Triglycerides are a type of fat the body makes when it digests sugars, Wagnon said, and the risk of cardiovascular disease increases when triglyceride lev- els are greater than 150 mg/dL. ➤ Sodium intake: less than 2,000 mg daily
According to the American Heart Association, sodium can increase blood pressure because it holds excess fluid in the body, which increases the burden on the heart. Optimal sodium intake for heart health should be less than 2,000 mil- ligrams per day, Wagnon said. ➤ Waist circumference: less than 35 inches for women
Studies suggest that peo- ple who have larger waists are more likely to develop heart disease, Wagnon said. There- fore, it is important to stay trim. The ideal waist circumference for heart health is 35 inches or less for women and 40 inches or less for men, she said.
Cardiovascular disease may be the leading killer of women in the U.S., but by understand- ing warning signs, reducing risk factors and seeking prompt care in the event of a heart at- tack, women can safeguard their health.
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