SILOAM SPRINGS -- Certain heart disease risk factors affect women more seriously than men, and some are unique to women.
You know diabetes increases your risk for cardiac problems, but you might not know the whole story. Women with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease than men with the condition. A 2014 study conducted by an international team of researchers, including one from Johns Hopkins University, found women with Type 2 diabetes had a 44 percent higher risk of heart disease than men with diabetes.
Other risk factors with a gender gap include:
• C-reactive protein -- High blood levels of this substance produced by the liver may be a more accurate predictor of heart disease in women than men, according to the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions;
• Metabolic syndrome -- Research indicates this collection of risk factors, including waist size, high blood pressure and low levels of "good" cholesterol, may be more hazardous to women's heart health than men's;
• Smoking -- Female smokers' risk of suffering a heart attack is twice that of men who light up, according to Harvard Medical School.
Men can't relate
Two conditions exclusive to women -- pregnancy and menopause -- can significantly influence heart disease risk. If you had elevated blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy, you are more likely to develop heart disease. After menopause, blood pressure, iron levels, triglycerides and "bad" cholesterol levels increase, and cardiovascular disease risk follows suit.
It might seem like the deck is stacked against you when it comes to your heart's future, but in fact, you hold the trump card -- the ability to reduce many risk factors by exercising regularly and eating a heart-healthy diet.
He feels, she feels
Your brother thought he'd pulled a muscle in his back. Your aunt assumed she had food poisoning. They were both wrong -- a heart attack was the culprit.
Men and women often experience heart attack differently. Chest discomfort, the most common symptom for both genders, may feel like a weight on the chest to men, but women are more likely to report aching or a squeezing sensation.
Other heart attack warning signs both men and women may experience include:
• Arm, back, neck, jaw or abdominal discomfort;
• Feelings of faintness;
• Nausea;
• Shortness of breath, even if your chest feels fine;
• Sudden perspiration.
Women are more likely than men to have difficulty breathing, feel nauseated and have back pain. They also may have symptoms most people wouldn't immediately associate with a heart attack, such as extreme fatigue, weeks of fitful sleep and vomiting.
Whatever your symptoms, take them seriously. A false alarm investigated is better than a heart attack ignored.
Dr. Garrett Sanford, F.A.C.C., is a non-invasive cardiologist specializing in treatment of congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, congenital and valvular heart disease, adolescent cardiovascular issues and coronary artery disease. He is an independent member of the Siloam Springs Regional Hospital Medical Staff. To schedule an appointment, call (479) 215-3060.
General News on 02/17/2016