It seems as if we can not turn on the TV. or read a newspaper without finding an advertisement advising us to eat " heart smart". We are bombarded with commercials regarding the latest in cholesterol lowering drugs and anti-smoking campaigns. Yet for all this rhetoric, Cardiovascular Diseases still remains the leading cause of death for American women. Despite our good intentions, women don’t really have all the facts they need to protect themselves against heart disease.

One in ten American women 45— 64 years of age has some form of heart disease, and this increases to one in 4 women over the age of 65. One quarter of American women have blood cholesterol levels high enough to pose a serious risk for heart disease. Between the ages of 45 and 55, women’s cholesterol levels begin to rise higher than men’s, and after the age of 55, the gap widens even more. In addition, after the age of 45, twice as many women as men develop diabetes. Death from heart disease in women with diabetes is three times higher in women than In men. As women become more and more competitive in the work place, the connections between stress and heart disease becomes more apparent. Some of the more common ways of coping with stress, such as overeating, drinking and smoking are clearly bad for your heart.

Long Island Heart Associates Women’s Education Programs are designed to educate women to the warning signs and risk factors of heart disease. We are committed to working directly with our patients to develop a heart healthy lifestyle. Our state of the art diagnostic facilities are designed to detect the earliest signs of heart disease so that we can formulate a treatment plan to insure all women a lifetime of good heart health.

If you have any of the following signs of symptoms of heart disease, it is important that you contact your doctor immediately. With treatment, the outlook is good. Without treatment, however, the symptoms may recur and worsen, and even lead to heart attack or death.

I. Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away
and comes back.

2. Pain that spreads from the chest to the arm, neck or jaw.

3. Chest discomfort with sweating, shortness of breath, tiredness, or upset stomach.

These last three symptoms are particularly common in women. Some women also experience palpitations, passing out or feeling faint, lightheadedness or dizziness with or without chest pain.
 

-George Yiachos, M.D.