February 2006
Women: Say 'ALOHA' to Heart Disease
Aloha? No, this edition of Steps to Good Health isn't about the health benefits of Hawaii's tropical climate – but it may save your life or the life of someone you know or love.
ALOHA is about establishing guidelines and setting personal priorities in your life to avoid falling victim to the No. 1 killer of women in the United States: heart disease and stroke.
Because heart disease can often be prevented, the American Heart Association and 11 other leading national health organizations came together to develop recommendations for heart disease prevention in women.
The Heart of the Matter
With ALOHA, it's easy to remember what you need to know about setting your priorities to achieve a heart-healthy life.ASSESS: Heart disease isn't either something you have or don't have. Rather, it's a risk that people face to a greater or lesser degree. The first step in lowering your risk requires assessing – or measuring – your current level of risk. A good way to do this is to attend your location's annual, onsite Feeling Gr-r-reat Health Screening. Or, if you don't have access to a screening, take advantage of your yearly opportunity to complete a health risk appraisal.
LIFESTYLE:
- If you smoke, stop.
- Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, grains, low- or non-fat dairy products, fish, beans, and sources of protein that are low in saturated fat.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- If your readings are abnormal, follow your doctor's advice to improve your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Decrease your risk of getting diabetes by eating healthy foods and avoiding weight gain.
AVOID: It's best to stay away from supplements that are unproven to prevent heart disease. If you currently take a supplement, or are considering taking one, you should check with your doctor. This is especially true if you are taking prescription medicine, since some supplements can interfere with some prescription medications.
All Things Being Equal
- In the past, many of the major cardiovascular studies were conducted on men. Now this is changing, in that results of the latest studies include women and should clarify the differences that affect diagnosis and treatment.
- Studies have shown there has been a tendency by both doctors and the general public to attribute a woman's chest pain to non-cardiac conditions. In many instances, a man with chest pain was evaluated for a cardiac condition while a woman's symptoms were attributed to an emotional problem. As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
- Because of denial or not being aware of heart attack symptoms, women may avoid or delay seeking treatment.
- Since women tend to have heart attacks later in life than men do, they often have other diseases, such as arthritis and osteoporosis, which can mask heart attack symptoms. Increased age and a more advanced stage of coronary heart disease in women can also affect available treatment options and result in a woman's greater mortality after heart attacks.
- Some diagnostic tests and procedures may not be as accurate in women, so physicians may avoid using them. This means that the disease process may be detected later in women, with more serious consequences.
- The exercise stress test, or stress EKG, may be less accurate in women.
The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. If you have any questions about managing your health and/or seeking medical care, please contact a medical professional.