Be Kind to Your Heart

 On Valentine's Day, we celebrate love symbolized by the heart, but did you know that heart disease is the number one killer in this country? Even more shocking is that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

We recently had an opportunity to visit with Dr. Kathy Magliato, author of "Heart Matters". Dr. Magliato is one of only 200 female heart surgeons in the U.S. She's also a heart transplant surgeon, and the mother to two toddlers

She believes women need to learn more  about this alarming trend.

 “People think that heart disease is a disease of men when in reality it kills more women than all of the cancers combined," Dr. Magliato said.

"We’ve done a great job educating women about breast cancer, women go out and get their mammograms but when was the last time they had their heart checked?”

Dr. Magliato  warns  that the symptoms of heart disease feel different for women than for men. The symptoms that we have come to know about heart disease, such as the feeling on an elephant sitting on your chest, clutching your heart, sweating profusely are some of the classic signs for men but not necessarily for women.

 “Fifty percent of all women with heart disease have no chest pain,"  Magliato said. "The number one symptom for women with heart disease is fatigue. Well what woman isn’t exhausted?”

In a recent TV special on heart disease with ABC's Barbara Walters, a heart disease survivor herself, Dr. Magliato was asked  if there is a way to tell if you are just stressed and tired or if it is a symptom of heart disease. Dr. Magliato concedes that there is no way to differentiate and this is the reason why many cases of heart disease in women get missed.

 “Women come to the ER with complaints of being tired and short of breath and they don’t know what’s going on and they are sent home with the diagnosis of stress or anxiety," she said. "The most important thing a woman can do when seeing her doctor is to insist on being evaluated for heart disease. It’s better to be checked out and have a negative exam than to wind up dead on the kitchen floor.”

Along with the symptoms of fatigue other subtle symptoms of heart disease in women may include the following:

•  Neck shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Sweating.
• Lightheadedness or dizziness.
• Jaw pain that may mimic a toothache.
• Anxiety.
• A burning sensation in the chest.
• Persistent cough or wheezing.
• Weakness

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms don’t delay in having it evaluated by a doctor. Women tend to discount some of there symptoms and by the time they show up in the emergency room, they are either dead have significant heart damage from waiting too long to seek help.

      With more women in the workforce than ever before, the family dynamics of the stay at home mom preparing meals has radically been altered. Women have been under more stress than ever before which can precipitate heart attacks.

The prepared meals at home are now often replaced by a trip to the fast food restaurants where meals are packed with transfats and mega doses of sodium resulting in increased cholesterol and high blood pressure, not to mention obesity. All risk factors for heart disease.

Other risk factors for women that can contribute to heart disease are diabetes and smoking. Just because there is no history of heart disease in your family does not mean you’ve dodged the bullet. More women are now having heart attacks at younger ages. It is no longer unusual to see women in their 30’s having heart attacks.

Dr. Magliato stressed the importance for women to know your heart health numbers and keep them in a normal range. These numbers include the following:

• Blood pressure  at or below 120/80
• Total Cholesterol  below 200
• Good Cholesterol ( HDL)  above 60
• Bad Cholesterol   ( LDL) below 100  

If you have a history of heart disease, get checked out by your doctor. Get a chest x-ray, blood work, and an EKG. There is also another screening device called a cardiac scan that can detect plaque buildup in the arteries, which is the number one cause of heart attacks.

The American Heart Association recommends 7 steps for a healthy heart

•  Get active, get out and walk , exercise.
• Control your cholesterol keeping it under 200.
• Eat more fruits, vegetable, grains and keep your sodium intake to less than 1500 mg per day.
• Keep your blood pressure under control.
• Lose weight.
• Reduce your blood sugar. Diabetics have more than double the risk for heart attacks and stroke.
• Stop smoking.

Women need to take ownership of their bodies and their health by becoming knowledgeable on heart disease. We have been so busy taking care of everyone else that we forget to take care of ourselves. Just remember the life you save could your own.

Happy Valentines Day and when you reach for that piece of chocolate, only one, make sure it’s the dark chocolate.

It’s better for your heart.