Go Red for Women

Today in Central Kentucky, we celebrate "Go Red For Women" with the American Heart Association (AHA).   In a previous blog, HEART HEALTH, we talked about a little about heart disease and which lifestyle factors contribute to heart disease in everyone.  Today, we will focus strictly on the ladies.  According to the AHA, more women die of cardiovascular disease than from the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.  Unfortunately 80% of cardiac events in women could be prevented if women made the right choices for their hearts involving diet, exercise and abstinence from smoking.

Let's look at some staggering statistics for women and heart disease:

• 8 million women in the US are currently living with heart disease; 35,000 are under age of 65. Four million suffer from angina.
• 435,000 American women have heart attacks annually; 83,000 are under age 65; 35,000 are under 55. The average: 70.4.
• 42% of women who have heart attacks die within 1 year, compared to 24% of men.
• Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely as men’s to be fatal.
• 267,000 women die each year from heart attacks, which kill six times as many women as breast cancer. Another 31,837 women die each year of congestive heart failure, representing 62.6% of all heart failure deaths.

What exactly is a heart attack?  A heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked.  When this happens the heart doesn't receive the oxygen it needs and part of the heart and the affected blood vessel(s) can die.  Although the symptoms of a heart attack are the same in women and men (chest pain and discomfort), women often feel some of the other symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back/jaw pain.  Ladies, if you experience any of the following symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Getty Images

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

So why do women delay getting medical attention for heart attacks more than men?  There are several reasons including: 

• Many times they don't know the heart attack warning signs and symptoms
• They mistakenly think "crushing chest pain" is the only heart attack symptom
• They falsely believe that only men and very old people have heart attacks
• They are pre-occupied with family responsibilities, can't get childcare or transportation, or don't want to impose their needs on others
• They are depressed, fatalistic about their health, or resigned to suffering

Now that we know the depressing, dark facts about heart disease in women, let's take a stand against this disease.  What are you waiting for...a ride to the hospital?  Get off the couch, put down the fast food, and get healthy!  If you don't take care of yourself first, it will be difficult for you to take care of your family.  This is a plea to everyone who has a woman in their life they care about...talk to her and tell her how much she means to you and how much you want her to live a full, happy, and healthy life.  Take a stand against heart disease. 

For more information on heart disease, visit the American Heart Association's website.