Heart Health Tips

Women & heart disease
Did you know that heart disease is the number  1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year? That’s approximately one woman every minute. Heart disease strikes more women than men, and is more deadly to women than all forms of cancer combined.

Women’s heart attack symptoms
Since women have an increased risk of developing heart disease, it’s important that all women know the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack, see a doctor regularly, and learn their family history.
Symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, the most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely to experience other common symptoms such as; shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain, all of which are often misattributed to symptoms of the flu, stress or simply feeling under the weather.

If you or someone you know experiences any of these symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention.

Staying heart healthy during pregnancy
Pregnancy is an especially important time for women to maintain heart healthy lifestyles as their own heart and circulatory system are under added stress and their baby’s heart and circulatory system are developing. During pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume increases by 30 to 50 percent to nourish their baby. The amount of blood their heart pumps each minute also increases by 30 to 50 percent, and their heart rate increases as well. All of these changes cause the heart to work harder during pregnancy.

Here are some tips to help both mother and baby have a heart healthy pregnancy:

• Eat a heart healthy diet, low in salt and high in high fiber whole grains, nuts and omega-3 fatty acids such as a Mediterranean-style diet
• Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight during and after pregnancy
• Keep all appointments with your obstetric provider so they are able to monitor mother and baby’s hearts throughout pregnancy
• Make sure to consult your physician as soon as possible if you become pregnant after being diagnosed with heart disease, since many heart medications are harmful to your baby

How to prevent heart disease after menopause
As women age their risk of developing heart disease increases, and this risk becomes even higher after menopause when estrogen levels decrease. Some ways for women to maintain heart health after menopause include:

• Getting regular screenings- Cholesterol checked every five years, blood pressure checked at least every two years, blood glucose levels checked every three years, waist circumference checked as needed and body mass index checked during every regular healthcare visit
• Trying to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week
• Eating a heart healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, unsalted nuts, and fatty fish
• Keeping a positive attitude- depression is linked to almost a doubled risk of stroke in middle-aged women

5 tips for staying heart healthy and preventing heart disease

1. Don’t Smoke or use tobacco
2. Exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week
3. Eat a heart healthy diet
4. Maintain a healthy weight
5. Get regular health screenings

Heart attack symptoms
Most people associate chest pain with a heart attack but that is not the only symptom.  In fact, in many cases especially in women, there is no chest pain.  Symptoms can vary but the most common are:

• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
• Feeling weak, light-headed or faint
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder
• Shortness of breath

Less obvious symptoms, especially in women, may be: nausea, vomiting, or unusual sweating. It is important if you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack to call 911 as soon as possible.  Calling your doctor or going to an urgent care center will only delay your treatment.  This is a true emergency and calling 911 is the best option.

Stroke symptoms
Another emergency medical condition that can be caused by heart disease is a stroke. A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. For this reason, a stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack." If blood flow is stopped for longer than a few seconds, the brain cannot get blood and oxygen, causing brain cells to die and leaving permanent damage. F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. is:

• Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?
• Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
• Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared.

Aspirin & heart attacks
One low-cost way to help prevent heart attack is though low-dose aspirin therapy, taken as directed by your doctor. Aspirin has been shown to prevent first and second heart attacks in people who have heart disease and can reduce your risk of having a clot-related stroke if you've already had one. The blood thinning properties of aspirin help to prevent blood clots from forming and keep blood flow open.
Aspirin can also be beneficial when taken during a heart attack. Although taking aspirin during a heart attack can significantly improve your chances of survival, you should always call 9-1-1 before doing anything else.  The 9-1-1 operator will let you know how much aspirin to take, and he or she can make sure that you don't have an allergy to aspirin or a condition that makes using it too risky.

The best way to know if you’re a candidate for low-dose aspirin therapy is to ask your healthcare provider. You should not start aspirin on your own.

Treatments during/after a heart attack
Starting treatment at the first symptoms of a heart attack can prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle and save your life. Some treatments may be administered if a heart attack is suspected, even before a diagnosis is confirmed. These treatments include:

• Oxygen therapy
• Aspirin- to thin your blood and prevent further blood clotting
• Nitroglycerin- to reduce your heart's workload and improve blood flow through the coronary arteries
• Treatment for chest pain

Once the diagnosis of a heart attack is confirmed or strongly suspected, doctors start treatments to try to promptly restore blood flow to the heart. The two most common treatments are "clot-busting" medicines and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), sometimes referred to as coronary angioplasty, a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries.

Recovering after a heart attack
Most people spend several days in the hospital after a heart attack. However, even after leaving the hospital, treatment does not stop. Once at home, your treatment may include daily medicines and cardiac rehabilitation to strengthen your heart and reduce your risk of future heart attacks. Some common medications prescribed after a heart attack include:

• Beta blockers- to decrease your heart's workload, relieve chest pain and discomfort, and treat irregular heartbeats
• ACE inhibitors- to lower blood pressure, reduce strain on your heart, and slow down further weakening of the heart muscle
• Anticoagulants ("blood thinners")- to prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries and keep existing clots from getting larger
• Ant-iclotting medicines, such as aspirin- to stop platelets from clumping together and forming unwanted blood clots•Statins- to lower cholesterol
• Cardiac Rehabilitation can also help improve the health and well-being of people who have heart problems. Rehab can include exercise training to safely strengthen muscles and improve stamina, and counseling to help you lead a more heart healthy lifestyle.

Your doctor may also recommend that you get a flu shot and pneumococcal vaccine each year, since death from influenza is more common among people with heart disease than among people with any other chronic condition.