Matters of the Heart

Women "Women often think heart disease happens to someone else," says Susan Bennett, MD, Clinical Director of the Women's Heart Center at GW Hospital. "They don't realize they're personally at risk."

"The truth is that heart disease is more deadly in women. More women die of heart disease and stroke than men," Dr. Bennett says.

Take Your Heart in Your Hands

You can't change your family history or your age but there are things women can do to lower their risk. "Heart disease is largely preventable," says Jannet Lewis, MD, cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at George Washington University Medical Center. "But since it often strikes when women are older, many of them don't think about it when they're young and healthy. That's a potentially deadly mistake. It's much easier to try and prevent heart disease now than it is to manage it later in life."

Some ways to reduce your risk for heart disease include:

Controlling your blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes
Exercising regularly
Quitting smoking
Eating foods low in fat

Risk factors unique to women include taking hormone replacement therapy and a drop in the high density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol levels associated with menopause.

Numbers You Should Know

All women should know their blood pressure and have a lipid panel, a blood test that measures lipids, which are fats and fatty substances used as a source of energy by the body. A lipid panel includes the total cholesterol: "good" cholesterol, triglycerides, and the calculated low density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol. It is important to have these checked in early adulthood and then at least every few years as levels can change dramatically, especially in the perimenopausal years.

It's never too early to start talking with your physician about your risk for heart disease. If you are having symptoms of cardiovascular disease your physician may refer you for cardiac testing.

Guard Your Heart

Please call Direct Doctors_SM Plus at 1-888-4GW-DOCS to make an appointment with a cardiologist.

Heart Attack: It Can Be More than Chest Pain

While many women experience heart attack symptoms similar to men's, including chest pressure, pain with shortness of breath and sweatiness, they often have unique symptoms like pressure or discomfort in the upper back, nausea, shortness of breath without chest symptoms or extreme fatigue. If you or a loved one is experiencing heart attack symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 to activate emergency medical services.