February set aside for heart health awareness

February is heart health awareness month and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano is promoting women’s heart health.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 health threat for women in the United States. Cardiovascular disease kills approximately 450,000 women each year – about one every minute.

“Symptoms of cardiovascular disease may not be noticeable until the disease is advanced,” said Leena Sharan, MD, FACC, a cardiologist on the medical staff at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano. “That’s why it’s important to have routine screenings to check for heart disease, even if you think you’re not at risk.”

Awareness may be increasing among women about their risk for developing cardiovascular disease, but only a small percentage of women in America still believe it’s their greatest health threat, Sharan said.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 37 percent of all female deaths in America are caused by cardiovascular diseases, which include coronary heart disease and stroke. Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of almost twice as many women in America than all forms of cancer combined. In 2006, all the cardiovascular diseases claimed the lives of 432,709 females while 269,819 females perished from all forms of cancer combined. Breast cancer claimed the lives of 40,821 females; lung cancer claimed 69,385.

Sharan said women should recognize the warning signs of a heart attack and seek emergency medical attention to avoid permanent damage or death. Many women who have been diagnosed with a heart attack have reported feeling only mild chest pain or no pain at all during the attack. In the absence of crushing chest pain, which is commonly associated with a heart attack, women may be more likely to attribute the signals their body is sending to something less serious and delay seeking medical attention.

Symptoms of heart attack can include:

• Chest discomfort or pain that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort may feel like pressure, squeezing or fullness.

• Discomfort or pain in other areas of the upper body, such as in one or both arms or the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

• Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

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