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You Gotta Have Heart

By Mercy Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn, The Heart Center at Overlea, Overlea Personal Physicians

February is American Heart Month and also when we recognize Women’s Heart Health Day. For many years, heart disease seemed reserved only for men as it was believed women’s hormones, like estrogen, provided them with protection. Menopausal women were encouraged to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to protect against heart disease.

Recent research, however, has shown that HRT actually does more harm than good and seems to offer no real benefit against cardiovascular illness in women.

Fortunately, there are many things women can do to have a healthy heart. Number one: don’t smoke. More than half of the heart attacks in women under age 50 are related to smoking. By stopping smoking, you can cut your risk of heart attack by a full third in just two years.

Keep your blood pressure under control. You can do this by losing weight, working out regularly, and eating a healthy diet, particulary one low in fat.

Manage your weight. Being overweight puts extra strain on your heart and artries, while increasing your risk for other diseases like diabetes.

Know your family history. If your father or brother experienced heart disease before the age of 55 or you have a mother or sister with heart illness before the age 65, you are at greater risk.

Be aware of the symptoms of heart attack. A woman’s symptoms can manifest differently than a man’s. In research reported by the National Institutes of Health, fewer than 30 percent of women studied reported having chest pain prior to heart attacks and 43% reported having no chest pain at any time during their attack. Women's symptoms are not as predictable as men’s, but may include unusual fatigue, sleep disturbance, shortness of breath, nausea or indigestion and anxiety.

Consider taking aspirin. Physicians have known for some time that taking an aspirin a day can help prevent heart attacks and stroke in some women, particularly those who already have cardiovascular disease, those who have multiple risk factors and healthy women over the age of 65.

Aspirin thins the blood making it less likely for a clot to form Yet, fewer than half of American women who could benefit actually take a daily aspirin. So if you’re not sure if you’d benefit, ask your doctor.

What about cholesterol lowering drugs? They do appear to help lower the risk of heart attack in men, but there’s insufficient evidence to say the same applies to women. Women who have had a heart attack, however, do seem to benefit from these drugs.

Finally, learn to relax. In December 2006, a study appeared in the Journal of Women’s Health which noted that some women who make a habit of outwardly venting their anger may be more likely to develop blockages in the arteries of the heart. It is believed that a better appreciation of just how anger and other emotions affect heart health could eventually help doctors better diagnose coronary heart disease.

Dr. Brian Kahn is a cardiologist with The Heart Center at Overlea, part of Overlea Personal Physicians located at 7602 Belair Road in Baltimore. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Overlea Personal Physicians at 410-663-6986 or visit www.overleadocs.com.