Jan 29, 2004

This Valentine's Day, make sure your heart is healthy before you give it away
Women’s heart attack symptoms differ from men’s

Love is in the air this Valentine season, but women should make sure their hearts are healthy before they share them with their loved ones. Heart disease remains the leading killer of American women, causing more deaths each year than the next 16 leading causes of death combined. In fact, heart disease kills more women than men, according to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2004 Update.

One reason for this is because symptoms of heart disease often may differ between men and women; therefore, early warning signs may go unrecognized and undetected in women until it is too late.

Although heart disease kills approximately 500,000 women each year, women are less likely to be treated as aggressively and are more likely to die of heart disease than men due to the mistaken belief that it is a man’s disease, according to the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Also, more women identify cancer as a risk to their lives than heart disease. But while one in 28 women will die of breast cancer, about one in two will die from heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. These deaths are especially tragic as a majority of heart disease can be prevented through changes in lifestyle.

February is National Heart Month, and it is especially important for women to know how to identify, manage and prevent heart disease. By following healthful eating and exercise habits, women can decrease their risk of heart disease by 82 percent, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Women have different symptoms than men

An article published in the Dec. 25, 2002, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reported that women may have fewer or different symptoms of heart disease than do men, symptoms that are often undetectable until the disease is well advanced, leaving less time for treatment. Women are also more likely than men to have painless progression of heart disease, and their pain may not be located on the left side of the chest as it often is in men. The pain and symptoms that women do feel are those that many women often fail to associate with heart disease, such as heartburn, indigestion, nausea, fatigue and dizziness. As a result, almost half of women with heart disease feel their diagnoses "came out of the blue,” according to a survey conducted by the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

Taking control

Risk factors for heart disease can include increased age, family history, a previous heart attack or stroke, smoking, high blood cholesterol and blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. While women cannot control their family history or age, they can reduce the risk of heart disease by working with their health care providers to evaluate their risk factors and alter their lifestyle habits. Beginning a moderate exercise regimen and a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol is a start.

Women should remember that they do not have to face heart disease alone. There is help available for those who want to change their eating and exercise habits. In addition to consulting with their doctors, women can find valuable resources on the Internet to learn more about the dangers of heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Health plans can offer assistance as well.

"The first thing women can do is educate themselves about heart disease,” said Wendy Kuran, vice president of PacifiCare's Women's Health Solutions. "PacifiCare has a program called Taking Charge of Your Heart Health that teaches people about the signs and risk factors of heart disease. One important step for prevention is for women to work with their doctors in tracking family health history for heart attacks or stroke."

"The Taking Charge of Your Heart Health program has helped me manage my heart condition," said Madeline Rossi. "I am so appreciative of all the assistance I receive, especially from the caring nurses who monitor my condition and keep me healthy."

"Changing lifestyle habits can seem daunting and even unpleasant, but it doesn't have to be," said Kuran. "We have proven methods of making easy adjustments that fit into any lifestyle." Increased knowledge of heart disease as well as improved diet and exercise all add up to better health. Incremental improvements work best. One step at a time, everyday activities can make a difference."