Heart Attack Signs for Women – Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
Here’s another question and answer from my February interview with Dr. Cynthia Shelby-Lane regarding heart attack signs for women. Read Dr. Shelby-Lane’s answer to learn about women cardiovascular disease.
Lisa Nelson RD: For women the signs of a heart attack are more subtle. What should women watch for? If everyone responded to every arm/jaw/chest/indigestion/feeling “not quite right” symptom, they’d never leave the ER!
Dr. Shelby-Lane: The female heart often is misdiagnosed.
True or false: Every year, more women die of heart disease than men.
The answer is true, but if you didn’t know it, you’re not the only one. In a survey of 500 physicians led by preventative cardiologist Lori Mosca, M.D, Ph.D., less than 20 percent knew the answer.
When it comes to women and heart disease, ignorance can be deadly. The misconception that heart disease is a “man’s disease” is the main reason women are misdiagnosed, or receive delayed treatment, when experiencing symptoms of heart disease and even a heart attack.
Consider these findings:
In a recent study at Weill Medical College of Cornell University/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 230 physicians were given hypothetical cases of men and women with identical symptoms of heart disease. Half of the case studies included reports that the patient recently had a stressful experience or felt anxious. When this detail was included, doctors diagnosed heart disease in 56 percent of men compared with just 18 percent of women.
They referred men to cardiologists twice as often as women, and prescribed cardiac medications to almost half of the men, versus a paltry 13 percent of the women. Researchers concluded that in the presence of stress or anxiety, symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath were more likely to be attributed to anxiety in women but seen as potential signs of heart disease in men.
Another study at Tufts Medical Center in Boston found that among people who called 911 complaining of cardiac symptoms, women were 52 percent more likely than men to experience delays during emergency medical service care, a potentially critical difference because treatments for a heart attack are typically most effective when given within 1 to 2 hours of the start of the attack.
“We often hear women patients say that their complaints were dismissed or that they were ‘blown off’ by their doctors when they presented with heart disease symptoms,” says Lori Mosca, M.D., Ph.D., director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. “Studies show that there is a gender bias out there that women need to be aware of. Our own research has shown that physicians are likely to label a woman at lower risk for heart disease than a man who has the exact same calculated level of heart disease risk.”
So how can you protect yourself? Dr. Mosca offers these suggestions:
Know your risks for heart disease, such as your waist size, smoking and exercise habits, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. If you smoke, quit. Talk to your doctor about diet and exercise changes you can make to lower your risks, and, if appropriate, medications that might help you. Try this quick test at home: Wrap a tape measure around your waist right at the level of your belly button (don’t suck in your stomach). If your waistline measures 35 inches or more, you are more likely to have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and an increased risk of dying of heart disease than a woman with a normal waist size.
Knowing your family’s history of heart disease is important because if you have a close relative with heart disease or diabetes, you are at higher risk for these conditions, too.
Even if you don’t have symptoms of heart disease, having a strong family history – particularly if a parent died at a young age of a heart attack – may be enough reason to be checked early to catch problems that may not yet be causing symptoms. In 40 percent of people that develop heart disease, sudden death is the first symptom.
Learn the unique symptoms of women cardiovascular disease.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart problems in both men and women, but women are much more likely to also experience subtle symptoms such as headaches, nausea and upset stomach, jaw or neck pain, shortness of breath and generalized fatigue.
Get help immediately. “Research shows that women tend to call for help later than men do, possibly because they don’t recognize these atypical symptoms as signaling heart troubles, or possibly because their tolerance for pain is greater,” says Dr. Mosca. If you have symptoms and think you might be having a heart attack or stroke, don’t delay; call 911.
Have a checkup annually. Report any suspicious symptoms and don’t let your doctor dismiss your concerns. If you have two or more risk factors and you are over the age of 50, a stress test can give more clues to your heart health. If the stress test shows signs of potential heart problems, further tests can be ordered.
Get a second opinion. If you feel your doctor is not taking your concerns seriously don’t hesitate to find a new doctor.
Lisa Nelson RD: Okay, this was a fantastic answer and I appreciate the detail, but I want to clarify. Are you saying if a woman experiences chest pain and an additional symptom, such as headache, nausea, or shortness of breath they should contact their MD immediately; but if it’s just shortness of breath by itself or just neck pain, not such a concern, monitor and watch for any changes. Is that correct?
Dr. Shelby-Lane: If a woman experiences chest pain along with symptoms such as on-going headaches, nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath, they should contact their doctor immediately and/or go to the emergency room, especially if these symptoms are of sudden onset. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and neck pain may also be subtle indicators of heart disease and most women may dismiss these symptoms and never mention them to their doctor, thereby, missing the opportunity to diagnose an underlying heart problem.
February is American Heart Month. In recognition of American Heart Month you can access Heart Health Made Easy at a 25% savings. Learn more about this take action guide to lower cholesterol and blood pressure at http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Reduce Heart Attack Signs for Women
Weight Loss – 4 Tips to Prevent Stress Related Weight Gain
Stress is linked to weight gain in that it stimulates the release of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that breaks down muscle to provide the body with needed glucose for energy needs. Cortisol also relocates fat cell deposits into the visceral cavities of the abdomen. Increased abdominal fat increases your heart disease risk.
Here are three tips to decrease stress related weight gain.
1. Push-ups
Effective, instant stress reliever that tricks the body into thinking your escaping stress. Push-ups cause your blood to circulate quickly, transporting cortisol to your kidney’s and removing it from your system.
2. Eat slowly
Stress typically leads to consuming meals very quickly, which equals bigger portions to fill full, and adds to your belly fat. Being mindful and eating slowly, savoring every flavor/texture, may actually lower cortisol, decrease your calorie intake, and move fat away from the abdominal area.
3. Avoid strict calorie restricted diets.
If you’re always “on a diet”, cortisol levels may rise as much as 18 percent. The rise in cortisol causes a blood sugar spike followed by a drop. This roll coaster ride makes your brain feel deprived of sugar (it’s main source for energy) and your ability to stick with a strict diet plan falters.
I’ll be sharing four more tips in a few days.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
The Best Way to Lose Weight
What causes irregular heart beat? – Learn about heart disease.
Here’s another question I asked Dr. Cynthia Shelby-Lane and her answer about causes irregular heart beat.
Lisa Nelson: What do you recommend for individuals experiencing heart palpitations and what may be triggering the problem?
Dr. Shelby-Lane: Arrhythmias are any deviations in the normal rhythm of the heart (heartbeat). They usually occur as a result of interference with the electrical pathways that produce the heart’s rhythmic muscular contractions. The Parasympathetic Nervous System is responsible for slowing down the heartbeat rate. The Beta-1 Adrenergic Receptors of the Beta-Adrenergic Nervous System are responsible for speeding up the heartbeat rate.
If you experience the following symptoms, you may need to be evaluated for toxicity and consider a stress test, echocardiogram, holter monitor or a tilt table test for further evaluation and diagnosis. A neurologic evaluation may also be indicated.
Fluttering or pounding in the heart
Hemodynamic disturbances are potentially life-threatening such as bradycardia and tachycardia
Dizziness
Syncope (fainting)
Unusual awareness of the heart
Anxiety
Abnormal ECG (provides a “one-shot” picture of the electrical activity of the heart)
Holter 24-hour monitoring results (Holter monitors look at the heart for a longer period of time and are necessary to detect intermittent rhythm problems.
Possible Causes Irregular Heart Beat, Contributing or Associated Factors
1. Coronary artery disease
2. Hypertension
3. Adverse drug reactions
4. Endocrine imbalances, especially thyroid or adrenal disorders
5. Myocardial tissue disease (valvular, atrial and ventricular abnormalities)
6. Sequela of rheumatic fever
7. Metabolic disorders
8. Nutritional deficiencies, especially magnesium
9. Caffeine
10. Environmental toxins or food allergies
11. Damaged conductive tissue (neurocardiogenic syncope)
12. toxicities
13. anxiety and stress disorders, etc.
Follow up diagnostic testing is recommended to determine if the above conditions are causing the problem.
Heart disturbances can occur as a symptom of magnesium deficiency: Measuring your red blood cell magnesium can give you a good idea of your actual magnesium level.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips
Heart Health – Are you getting enough potassium?
If you have high blood pressure or want to take steps to prevent high blood pressure, it’s very important you balance your intake of sodium and potassium. The more potassium in your diet and the lower the sodium, the better your blood pressure will be.
The typical American diet contains 3.6 grams of sodium daily, while the current guidelines recommend limiting sodium to 2.3 grams or less daily (~1 teaspoon). Many Americans are deficient on potassium intake with various causes of low potassium. Currently dietary guidelines recommend 4.7 grams of potassium each day. Good potassium sources include bananas, potatoes, cantaloupe, dates, nuts, oranges, and green leafy vegetables.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
A Blood Pressure Drop as Temperatures Rise?
More interesting research findings I want to share.
A French study found a link between the weather and blood pressure, especially for individuals over the age of 80. As temperatures dropped 25 degrees, such as change from summer to winter, systolic blood pressure (top number) increased 5.0 mmHg.
Hmmm, another reason to retire in the tropics!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
Increase Physical Activity – How to increase physical activity and improve heart health
You want to be more physically active, but how do you find the time? And just how much activity do you have to do?
The number one reason people are not more active is time. We now know that accumulating short bouts of activity throughout the day to reach a total of 30 minutes most days a week provides comparable benefits to completing 30 minutes of activity all at once. There are many ways to increase your physical activity level by simply putting a twist on activities you already complete daily.
Here are some examples of how to boost your fitness when at home and work.
Home
Nothing beats increasing physical activity at home. No time wasted traveling to a gym and you can wear and look however you want! Many typical home activities result in an increased heart rate and strength building. Some examples include mowing/raking the lawn, shoveling snow, vacuuming, mopping, unloading the car, carrying groceries, and taking out the trash. Now take these everyday activities and add a little something extra. How about lunges while you vacuum, arm curls while carry your grocery bags, calf raises while brushing your teeth, and actually squatting when accessing bottom shelves? Do you log more hours than you care to admit in front of the TV? Take advantage of the commercial breaks to do 3 minutes of sit-ups or push-ups.
At the Office
Start your day by arriving at work a few minutes early so you have time to park your car farther away or if you take the bus, get off early and walk the last couple blocks. This is a simple way to add 10-15 minutes of activity to your day while also giving you some much needed time to yourself. Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator to reach your office. Be sure to take two 15 minute breaks during an eight hour work day. Use your break time to boost your fitness level by stretching or taking a walk around the building. If time gets away from you, schedule your computer to provide a “break time” reminder. Short breaks for activity throughout your work day have the added benefit of clearing your mind, boosting your energy, and making your work time more productive. Other ways to increase your activity level at work include finding a longer route to the bathroom or coffee machine and walking to a co-workers office versus reaching for the phone. A pedometer is a great tool for monitoring your activity when at the office. You can set goals to try to increase the number of steps you walk each day to improve your fitness level.
Achieving your fitness goals does not require a fancy gym membership or expensive exercise machine. A little creativity goes a long ways. Don’t miss part 2, which will include tips to boost activity when traveling, running errands, and caring for children.
Read part 2 with tips to boost physical activity here.
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