Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerotic heart disease, is the end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the ...
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Heart Disease and Women
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A little preaching here by an internist invested in this because I have so many female patients:
1) Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women and has claimed the lives of more women than men since 1984 2) A womans risk of dying from heart disease is one in 2.4; her risk of dying from breast cancer is one in 29 3) We need to screen and educate female patients of all ages to "know their numbers" so here we go: a)your lipid (cholesterol) profile: know your LDL, HDL and triglycerides b)your blood pressure...at age 55 a person with normal bp has a 90% lifetime risk of developing hypertension c) women at risk for diabetes should know their fasting glucose level (diabetes confers a greater heart disease risk for women than for men) Do you guys get this from your primary care doctor? Dr O. Posted on 11/02/06, 12:11 am |
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I was diagnosed with heart desease 4 months after breast cancer surgery. The cardio dr reminds me often that the heart problem is more serious than the cancer. It makes my mind spin. The work "cancer" carries such fear, I can't absorb that I have something even worse. I've been so healthy until this year and now I get very confused when I allow myself to think about my situation --- what specifically should I worry about, what proactive actions should I be taking, etc. It's overwhelming and I retreat back into my denial state and just follow my drs' directions.
I'm having bypass surgery (4 arteries) in January and somehow think this nightmare will end by April -- then I'll be leaping tall buildings! I'm saying all this to underscore your message about the importance of educating women in the truth about tracking BP, chol, etc. Cancer, particularly breast cancer has received so much press that it's very hard for women to accept that there is something even more threatening. Thanks for all your help. Jessie Jessie 
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I'm a 52 year old female. I had been having arm and shoulder pain prior to my heart attack which continually was said to be from my rotator cuff injury by my doctor. I do have that type of injury but the pain I was having then was different. Even when the ambulance came for me the medic was not convinced that it was my heart - but it was. My pain was more in my neck, and arm and shoulder, and not that typical heavy pressure feeling in your chest you read about so much.
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Hi orrange thanks for the info and no I haven't gotten any of that from my heart doctor either.
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