WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE; WHAT EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW  

Ask women what their top health concern is, and most will tell you it's breast cancer. It may surprise many to learn that cardiovascular disease is actually the leading cause of death for women.

Early Awareness Counts  

"One in two women dies from heart disease" says Andrew J. Shanahan, M.D., Chief of Cardiology at the Medical Center at Princeton. "It's very important for women of all ages to be aware of their cardiac health, since most of the risk factors are controllable."
Many times, women aren't diagnosed with heart disease until after menopause. However, heart disease...and its prevention...often starts well before menopause. A study of human autopsy results found that by age 35, one-third of women had considerable atherosclerosis (blockages due to high blood pressure, smoking and other factors) in the vessels leading to the heart.

Lifestyle Makes a Difference 

"The top lifestyle factors that increase a woman's risk of heart disease are smoking, obesity and being sedentary," says Banu Mahalingam, M.D., R.C.S., Cardiologist on staff at the Medical Center. Since all these habits usually are formed before adulthood, it's never too early to begin preventing heart disease. Physical activity and weight management are key to the prevention of cardiovascular problems. Current exercise recommendations from the American heart Association call for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days, preferably all.

News About Treatments  

While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was once thought to help prevent heart disease in postmenopausal women, this is no longer the case. "The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS), which is the largest study of HRT, found no preventive cardiovascular benefit," says Dr. Shanahan. "HRT is a good treatment for preventing osteoporosis or other symptoms of menopause, but it is not recommended primarily for cardiac protection."
Statin drugs, which work to lower cholesterol, have been found to be particularly effective in women. These medications reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and may delay the need for surgery in people with heart disease.
Women with diabetes are especially encouraged to be on guard against heart disease. Premenopausal women with diabetes are at just as high a risk for heart disease as postmenopausal women without Diabetes," says Dr. Mahlingam. "Smokers with diabetes increase their risk exponentially."

Testing Can Save Lives  

Women's heart disase symptoms are sometimes called "silent ischemia," as they can be difficult to detect without a physician's examination.
That's one reason why women are diagnosed with heart disease approximately 10 years later than men. Early testing and treatment are key.
The Medical Center offers a full range of noninvasive cardiac diagnostic testing and treatment procedures, including cardiac catheterization.
"Stress echocardiograms, which we perform here, recently were found to be an excellent way to screen women for coronary artery disease," says Dr. Shanahan.
For more information about cardiac services at the Medical Center, please call 609-497-4347.