Monthly Newsletter
Heart Disease

HEALTH DESIGN, INC.

Heart Disease In Women

Volume 1, Issue 1

Heart Disease remains the number 1 cause of death in both men and women in the United States.  Approximately 500,000 women die of heart disease each year.
Generally , women develop heart disease approximately  ten years later than the average man and this is felt to be due to the estrogen  protection effect on the heart.
However, heart disease may strike women in the early 30 year old category much the same as in men. If there is a family history of heart disease, risk is significantly more prominent and more prevalent in young women who smoke cigarettes.
Recently statistics show that 60% of American women are overweight and certainly obesity has been categorized as one of the most significant risk factors for heart disease in women.  As a result of the obesity there is an increased associated incidence of adult onset diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and coronary artery disease.
Women tend to exercise on a regular basis less often than men and women statistically are

less cognizant of their blood lipids (cholesterol, HDL, LDL) as well as their homocysteine levels.
Women  undergoing heart  surgery for corrections of cardiac abnormalities generally sustain a higher operative risk as well as a higher rate of post operative complications as compared to men.  This is generally related to the fact that women on the whole are in poorer physical condition than the male counterpart beginning in the 50 year old range group and this is felt to be secondary to a more sedentary type of lifestyle.
As a rule, women may not experience the classical symptoms of a heart attack such as the heavy, squeezing, crushing mid sternal chest pain.  The symptoms of a heart attack may present itself as neck pain, jaw pain, pain in the wrist or elbow or nausea, vomiting and a sudden onset of excessive fatigue.
These warning symptoms should prompt the female patient to immediately ingest an aspirin product providing they are not allergic to aspirin and seek immediate emergency room care.

February 5, 2001

Special points of interest:

• Approximately 500,000  women die of heart disease each year. 
  
• 60% of American women are overweight.
  
• Women may not experience the classical symptoms of heart attack.
  
• Women must get more involved in their medical evaluation and become knowledgeable  about their blood pressure, blood lipid profile and percentage of body fat.