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Heart Disease 15

Heart Disease
We used to think of heart disease as a mans problem. Now
underdiagnosed and undertreated. Fortunately, you have the
power to impact your heart health in many ways! Commit to
a healthy lifestyle that includes heart-healthy eating, regular
physical activity, and not smoking. Understand the warning signs
of a heart attack, because they can be dierent for women than
A womans disease
Many women may not be aware that
they are at risk of heart disease. Many
doctors also make the mistake of think-
ing that heart disease strikes men more
often than women. In fact, some research
shows that doctors are more likely to
diagnose and treat heart disease in a man
than a woman, even if the two have the
same symptoms.
Another problem is that until about 15
years ago, women were often not includ-
ed in heart disease research. We assumed
that the results of research involving men
applied to women as well. Now we know
this is not the case.
Still, we have learned a lot about heart
disease in womenhow to nd out if
you have the disease, how to treat it, and,
most important, how to prevent it.
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
When people talk about heart disease,
they usually mean coronary artery dis-
ease (CAD). It is the most common
type of heart disease. With CAD, plaque
builds up on the walls of the arteries that
16 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
carry blood to the heart. Over time, this
buildup causes the arteries to narrow and
harden, called atherosclerosis (a-thuh-
roh-skluh-ROH-suhss). When this hap-
pens, the heart does not get all the blood
it needs. Tis can lead to:
Angina (an-JEYE-nuh)chest pain
or discomfort that happens when the
heart doesnt get enough blood.
Heart attackhappens when a clot
mostly or completely blocks blood
ow to the heart muscle. Without
blood the heart will start to die. If
a person survives a heart attack, the
injured area of the heart muscle is re-
placed by scar tissue. Tis weakens the
pumping action of the heart.
How Your Heart Works
Your heart is a fst-sized muscle in the middle of your chest. An electrical system
The coronary arteries supply fresh blood to the heart itself, so it can work. Blood ves-
sels that return blood from the body to the heart are called veins (vayns).
works to keep the blood fowing in the right direction.
Vena Cava
Arteries: red
Veins: blue
Although there are different types
of heart disease, the main type
discussed here is coronary artery
Heart Disease 17
Heart Attack: Warning Signs
Many people think a heart attack is
fort. If you feel such a symptom, you may
sudden and intense, like a movie
not be sure whats wrong. Your symptoms
heart attack, where a person clutches
may even come and go. Even those who
his or her chest and falls over.
have had a heart attack may not recognize
their symptoms, because the next attack
The truth is that many heart attacks
can have entirely different ones.
start slowly, as a mild pain or discom-
Trouble breathing (short-
ness of breath)
Upset stomach, urge to
throw up
Other Signs
In addition, some women
may feel very tired, some-
times for days or weeks
before a heart attack
occurs. Women may also
have heartburn, a cough,
or heart futters or lose
their appetite.
Arm(s), Back, Jaw, Neck,
Between Shoulders
Pain, discomfort,
Pain, pressure, fullness
or squeezing (lasts more
than a few minutes or
comes and goes)
Cold sweat
If you think that you are having a heart women often have less-common heart
attack, you must act quickly to prevent attack symptoms, which might be misdi-
disability or death. Wait no more than a agnosed by a woman or even her doctor.
few minutes5 at mostbefore calling If you think youre having a heart attack,
911. Treatments for opening clogged dont let anyone tell you that youre over-
arteries work best when given within the reacting or to wait and see. Get emer-
frst hour after a heart attack starts. gency help right away. Ask for tests that
can show if you are having a heart at-
Women are more likely than men to die
tack. Its better to be safe than sorry.
of a heart attack. One reason is that
18 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
Who is at risk of getting heart
Risk factors are conditions or habits that
make you more likely to develop heart
disease. Te more risk factors you have,
the greater your chances of getting heart
disease. Some risk factors, such as your
age or family history, cannot be changed.
But many risk factors can be changed by
making simple changes in the way you
Risk factors that you can change
Abnormal blood cholesterol and triglyceride
Cholesterol (koh-LESS-tur-ol) and
triglycerides (treye-GLIH-suh-ryds)
are types of fat found in your blood and
other parts of the body. Tey are carried
in the blood by lipoproteins (lip-uh-
PROH-teens). Your body needs small
amounts of these substances to work
well. But too much can lead to plaque
buildup on your artery walls. In fact,
plaque is made up mostly of unused
A blood test will help measure your lev-
els of:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or
bad cholesterolHigh levels lead
to buildup of cholesterol in arteries.
Unique to Women
Low HDL cholesterol is more
dangerous than having high LDL
High triglycerides combined with
low HDL cholesterol can mean a
very high risk of heart disease.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) or
good cholesterolHigh levels are
good. HDL cholesterol travels from
other parts of your body to your liver,
where it is processed to be removed
from the body. Tis lowers the total
cholesterol level in the body.
Total cholesterolLDL cholesterol
plus HDL cholesterol
Ask your doctor for the results of your
blood test and nd out your risk in the
Risk factors that you can change
(pages 1825):
Abnormal blood cholesterol and
triglyceride levels
High blood pressure
Cigarette smoking
Being overweight or obese
Metabolic syndrome
Lack of physical activity
Heavy alcohol use
Sleep apnea
Risk factors that you cannot change
(page 26):
Age (55 years and older for women)
Family history of early heart disease
Other possible risk factors (pages
Depression, anxiety, and stress
Lower income
Not enough sleep
Heart Disease 19
table below. Tese numbers help measure and triglyceride levels. In addition, mod-
your chances of getting heart disease. erate physical activity for at least 30 min-
Nearly half of U.S. women are at border- utes on 5 or more days of the week can
line high or high risk of heart disease. raise your HDL cholesterol levels. Tis
Some people have a tendency toward
can help reduce your heart disease risk.
high cholesterol. But most cases of high If lifestyle changes do not bring your
cholesterol and triglyceride levels are from cholesterol and triglyceride levels back to
eating unhealthy foods, not exercising, normal, your doctor may prescribe one or
and other lifestyle choices. In many cases, more of these types of medicines:
adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can
lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol,
bile acid resins (REZ-ins)
Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels and Heart Disease Risk
of blood.
Total Cholesterol Level Risk Group
Less than 200 mg/dL Desirable
200239 mg/dL Borderline high
240 mg/dL and above High
LDL Cholesterol Level Risk Group
Less than 100 mg/dL Optimal (ideal)
100129 mg/dL Near optimal/above optimal
130159 mg/dL Borderline high
160189 mg/dL High
190 mg/dL and above Very high
HDL Cholesterol Level Risk Group
Less than 40 mg/dL High
60 mg/dL and above Somewhat protective
Triglyceride Levels Risk Group
Less than 150 mg/dL Desirable
150199 mg/dL Borderline high
200 mg/dL and above High
20 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
cholesterol absorption inhibitors
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Blood pressure is the force your blood
makes against the walls of your arter-
ies. Your blood pressure is highest when
your heart pumps blood into your arter-
ies. Tis is called systolic (siss-TOL-ihk)
pressure. It is lowest between beats, when
the heart relaxes. Tis is called diastolic
(deye-uh-STOL-ihk) pressure.
Your blood pressure varies throughout
the day. But if your blood pressure stays
above normal most of the time, then you
have high blood pressure, or hyperten-
sion. If your blood pressure is borderline
high, then you have prehypertension. Tis
means that you dont have high blood
pressure now but are likely to develop it
in the future.
High blood pressure is called the silent
killer because you can have no symptoms.
But years of high blood pressure can
damage artery walls, causing atherosclero-
sis and heart disease. High blood pressure
is a common problem among women, es-
pecially African American women.
If you have hypertension or prehyper-
tension, you may be able to lower your
blood pressure by:
losing weight if you are overweight or
getting 30 minutes of moderate-
intensity physical activity on most
days of the week
limiting alcohol to one drink per day
quitting smoking if you smoke
eating foods that are good for your
reducing stress
If lifestyle changes do not lower your
blood pressure back to normal, your doc-
tor may prescribe medicine. Some types
commonly used to treat hypertension
diuretics (deye-yoo-RET-ihks)
beta blockers
calcium channel blockers
angiotensin (an-jee-oh-TEN-suhn)
converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
angiotensin II receptor blockers
If you have hypertension or prehyperten-
sion, you should also know that you may
be at increased risk of developing type 2
diabetes (see Diabetes section on page
21). You should get tested for type 2 dia-
Special Concerns for African
American Women
African Americans often do not re-
spond well to ACE inhibitors or ARBs
when these drugs are used by them-
selves. But African American patients
do respond well to either type of drug
if it is used in combination with anoth-
er medicine for treating hypertension,
such as a diuretic or calcium channel
Cholesterol Test: How Often?
Have your blood cholesterol and tri-
glyceride levels tested at least once
every 5 years and your blood pressure
checked every 1 to 2 years.
Heart Disease 21
betes if your blood pressure readings:
are too high
are borderline high
have been steadily increasing for the
last several years but are still in the
normal range
Cigarette smoking
Te more you smoke, the higher your
risk of heart disease. In fact, about half
of all heart attacks in women are due to
smoking. Whats more, if you smoke and
also take birth control pills, you are at
high risk of heart disease.
If you are among the nearly 1 in 5
women in the United States who
smokes, now is the time to quit. Talk to
your doctor if you need help. Tere are
medicines that can help you quit. Coun-
seling and support groups can also be
Diabetes is a disease in which blood
glucose (sugar) levels are too high. Type
2 diabetesthe most common type
usually begins after the age of 40, often
in people who are overweight or obese.
Uncontrolled diabetes can damage ar-
tery walls, leading to atherosclerosis and
heart disease. In fact, uncontrolled dia-
betes raises a womans risk of heart dis-
ease more than it does for a man. Also,
women with diabetes do not recover as
well from a heart attack as men with
diabetes do.
If you have type 2 diabetes and are over-
weight or obese, you might be able to
lower your blood glucose levels back to
normal by losing weight. If this doesnt
work, your doctor might give you medi-
cines or insulin, a hormone that lowers
blood glucose levels.
Blood Pressure Categories
Systolic (mmHg)* Diastolic (mmHg)*
Normal Less than 120 Less than 80
Prehypertension 120139 8089
Hypertension 140 or higher 90 or higher
*mmHg means millimeters of mercury.
For more information on type 2 diabe-
tes, see the Type 2 Diabetes chapter on
page 69.
22 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
Being overweight or obese
Te more overweight you are, the higher
your risk of heart diseaseeven if you
have no other risk factors. Being over-
weight or obese also raises your chances
of developing diabetes, high blood pres-
sure, and high blood cholesterol.
Being overweight or obese is common
among women in the United States, es-
pecially among African American and
Hispanic women.
How do you know if you are overweight
or obese? Use the chart below to nd
your height and weight. Te point at
which the two meet is your body mass
index (BMI).
Normal weight Overweight Obese
BMI 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 35 40 45
Height Weight (lb.)
47 82 86 90 95 99 103 108 112 116 120 125 129 151 172 194
48 85 89 94 98 103 107 112 116 120 125 129 134 156 178 201
49 88 92 97 102 106 111 116 120 125 129 134 139 162 185 208
410 91 96 100 105 110 115 119 124 129 134 138 143 167 191 215
411 94 99 104 109 114 119 124 128 133 138 143 148 173 198 222
50 97 102 107 112 118 123 128 133 138 143 148 153 179 204 230
51 100 106 111 116 122 127 132 137 143 148 153 158 185 211 238
52 104 109 115 120 126 131 136 142 147 153 158 164 191 218 246
53 107 113 118 124 130 135 141 146 152 158 163 169 197 225 254
54 110 116 122 128 134 140 145 151 157 163 169 174 204 232 262
55 114 120 126 132 138 144 150 156 162 168 174 180 210 240 270
56 118 124 130 136 142 148 155 161 167 173 179 186 216 247 278
57 121 127 134 140 146 153 159 166 172 178 185 191 223 255 287
58 125 131 138 144 151 158 164 171 177 184 190 197 230 262 295
59 128 135 142 149 155 162 169 176 182 189 196 203 236 270 304
510 132 139 146 153 160 167 174 181 188 195 202 207 243 278 313
511 136 143 150 157 165 172 179 186 193 200 208 215 250 286 322
60 140 147 154 162 169 177 184 191 199 206 213 221 258 294 331
61 144 151 159 166 174 182 189 197 204 212 219 227 265 302 340
62 148 155 163 171 179 186 194 202 210 218 225 233 272 311 350
63 152 160 168 176 184 192 200 208 216 224 232 240 279 319 359
64 156 164 172 180 189 197 205 213 221 230 238 246 287 328 369
65 160 169 177 186 194 202 211 219 228 236 245 253 295 337 380
66 164 173 182 190 199 208 216 225 234 242 251 260 303 346 390
67 169 178 186 195 204 213 222 231 240 249 251 266 311 355 400
Heart Disease 23
Once you have found your BMI, check it
against the ranges below:
Normal weight: BMI = 18.524.9
Overweight: BMI = 2529.9
Obese: BMI = 30 or higher
For women, a waist size of more than 35
inches also increases heart disease risk.
Tis is because fat located in the abdo-
men increases atherosclerosis more than
fat located in other areas, such as the hips.
If you are overweight, obese, or your
waist size is more than 35 inches, losing
weight can help prevent health problems
like heart disease and diabetes. Work
with your doctor to create a weight-loss
plan that stresses heart-healthy foods
and regular physical activity.
Metabolic syndrome
Having metabolic (met-uh-BOL-ihk)
syndrome doubles your risk of getting
heart disease or having a stroke. You
have it if you have any 3 of these 5 risk
waist measurement of more than 35
triglyceride level more than 150 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol level less than 50
systolic blood pressure greater than or
equal to 130 mmHg or diastolic blood
pressure greater than or equal to 85
blood glucose level after fasting for
at least 8 hours of greater than 110
Taking steps to eliminate these risk fac-
tors will improve your heart and, overall,
Lack of physical activity
Lack of physical activity increases your
heart disease risk, even if you have no
other risk factors for heart disease. It
also increases your chances of develop-
ing high blood pressure and diabetes and
of being overweight or obese. If nding
time to be physically active seems like an
impossible challenge, take heart. As little
as 30 minutes of moderate-intensity
physical activity on most, if not all, days
of the week helps protect your heart. You
can even split this time into three seg-
ments of at least 10 minutes each.
Drinking alcohol
Heavy drinking causes many heart-
related problems. More than 3 drinks
per day can raise blood pressure and tri-
glyceride levels. Too much alcohol also
can damage the heart muscle, leading to
heart failure. Overall, people who drink
heavily on a regular basis have more
heart problems than either moderate
drinkers or nondrinkers.
However, moderate drinkers are less
likely to develop heart disease than peo-
ple who dont drink any alcohol or who
drink too much. Red wine drinkers in
particular seem to be protected to some
degree against heart disease. Red wine
contains avonoids (FLAY-vuh-noidz),
which are thought to prevent plaque
buildup. Red grapes, berries, apples, and
broccoli also contain avonoids.
Drinking more than one drink per day
increases the risks of certain cancers,
including breast cancer. And if you are
pregnant, planning to become pregnant,
or have another health condition that
could make alcohol use harmful, you
should not drink.
24 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
With the help of your doctor, decide
whether moderate drinking to lower
heart attack risk outweighs the possible
increased risk of breast cancer or other
medical problems. If you do decide to
drink alcohol, remember that modera-
tion is the key.
Sleep apnea
Has anyone ever told you that you snore?
Loud snoring can be a sign of sleep
apnea (AP-nee-uh), a sleep disorder
that can raise your chances of having
a heart attack. With obstructive sleep
apneathe most common typethe tis-
sue in the back of the throat relaxes and
blocks airow to your lungs. Tis lowers
the oxygen level in your blood, which
makes your heart work harder and often
leads to high blood pressure. Also, these
repeated pauses in breathing cause frag-
mented sleep, which results in daytime
Women are more likely to develop ob-
structive sleep apnea after menopause.
Heart-Healthy Eating
Eating a healthy diet is a powerful way to impact
your heart health. It can lower and possibly eliminate
many key risk factors for heart disease, including:
high cholesterol and triglyceride levels
high blood pressure
obesity and overweight
stresses low-cholesterol foods that are good for your heart, such as fruits and veg-
and fsh*
is rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, protein, and fber
is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and total fat
limits red meat, sweets, and sugary drinks
*Oily fsh like salmon, herring, and tuna contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have
If you drink alcohol,
drink no more than
one drink per day. One
drink is counted as:
5 ounces of wine
12 ounces of beer
1 ounces of 80-
proof hard liquor
Heart Disease 25
Other things that may increase the risk
of obstructive sleep apnea are:
being overweight or obese
using alcohol or sleeping pills
a family history of sleep apnea
If you think that you have sleep apnea,
talk with your doctor. Your doctor might
suggest a sleep test to see how severe
your sleep apnea is. Mild cases often can
be helped by lifestyle changes, such as
losing weight and not drinking alcohol
before bed. If you have severe obstructive
sleep apnea or another type, your doc-
tor may suggest other treatments, such
as using a machine that props open your
airway during sleep or having surgery.
meats. Many grocery stores sell salt substitutes that provide the favor of salt without
the sodium.
Another eating plan, called the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) eating plan, is de-
signed for people whose LDL cholesterol levels are too high. The TLC eating plan will
help to reduce your LDL cholesterol and lower your chances of developing heart dis-
Less than 7 percent of the days total calories from saturated fat. Lowering satu-
rated fat is the most important dietary change for reducing blood cholesterol.
Less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol a day.
fat calories).
Just enough calories to reach or maintain a healthy weight. (Ask your doctor or reg-
istered dietitian what is a reasonable calorie level for you.)
26 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
Risk factors that you cannot
Women develop heart disease about 10
to 15 years later than men. Tis is be-
cause until you reach menopause, your
ovaries make the hormone estrogen,
which protects against plaque buildup.
But once you reach menopause, your
ovaries stop making estrogen and your
risk of developing heart disease goes up.
By age 70, women have about the same
chances of developing heart disease as
same-aged men.
Even apart from the increased risk
brought on by menopause, getting older
is a risk factor for heart disease in wom-
en. With age, arteries stien and thicken.
Also, systolic blood pressure often goes
up. Tese and other changes contribute
to plaque buildup in artery walls.
Family history of early heart disease
Women with a father or brother who
developed heart disease before age 55
are more likely to develop heart disease.
Women with a mother or sister who
developed heart disease before age 65
are also more likely to develop the dis-
ease. Tese trends suggest that you can
inherit genes that increase your risk of
heart disease. Still, young women with a
family history appear to be less aware of
their risks and less careful about living a
heart-healthy lifestyle than men with a
family history.
Other possible risk factors
Depression, anxiety, and stress
Negative emotions such as depression,
anxiety, and angerhave all been shown
to increase your chances of developing
or dying of heart disease. We dont know
why this is so. Perhaps being depressed,
anxious, or angry leads to behaviors that
put your heart health at risk, such as
smoking, drinking, and eating high-fat
foods. It is also possible that negative
emotions aect the body in ways that
trigger atherosclerosis or blood clot for-
mation within arteries.
Stress also appears to be linked to heart
health in some way. Here are some
Work stress. Feelings that you have
little control over what happens to you
at work or that you are not being re-
warded enough for the work that you
do have been linked to getting heart
Stress at home. If you are caring for a
disabled or ill spouse, the stress of this
role may raise your risk of heart attack.
Combined stress. Being stressed both
at work and at home has been shown
to increase your chances of having a
heart attack or severe angina more
than either type of stress by itself.
Low social support. People with few
friends or family to help them deal
with stress are more likely to develop
heart disease.
Other conditions such as chronic
kidney failure can raise your risk of
heart disease. Discuss your health
and your risk with your doctor. This
information will help your doctor de-
cide how best to care for you.
Heart Disease 27
If youre unhappy with your life or feel
distressed in some way, talk to your doc-
tor. Although we dont know if treating
emotional problems or reducing stress
can lower your chances of getting heart
disease, doing so can boost your emo-
tional health and overall well-being.
Lower income
Research shows that lower income adults
have an increased risk of heart disease.
Also, children born into lower income
families are more likely to have heart
disease in adulthood. Tere are many
possible reasons for this link. For in-
stance, low-income adults are less likely
to be physically active and eat a heart-
healthy diet, and they are more likely to
It can be dicult to eat a heart-healthy
diet in lower income neighborhoods.
Many of these neighborhoods lack a
grocery store that sells fresh fruits and
vegetables. Or if they do, these items
may be too costly. People in some of
these neighborhoods have dealt with
these problems by forming food co-ops
that buy fresh fruits and vegetables in
bulk and then sell them at low prices.
Also, it can be dicult to be physically
active in neighborhoods that are unsafe.
Some communities have dealt with this
problem by creating physical activity
programs at local recreation centers or
churches. Contact your local parks de-
partment and churches to see if any such
programs exist in your community.
Not enough sleep
Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep
to feel well rested during the day. Your
heart needs a good nights sleep too.
Sleeping 5 hours or less each night dou-
bles the risk of high blood pressure for
people between the ages of 32 and 59.
One reason for this may be that feeling
cranky, tired, and stressed due to lack of
sleep makes it harder to follow a heart-
For more information on managing
stress, see the Mental Health chapter on
page 207.
28 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
healthy lifestyle. Try these tips to get the
good quality sleep your heart needs:
Go to bed and wake up at the same
time each day (even weekends).
Engage in a relaxing activity before
bed, such as reading or taking a bath.
Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet,
and cool.
Use your bed for sleep and sex only.
Dont eat or become physically active
for several hours before sleep.
Avoid alcohol, caeine, and nicotine
close to bedtime.
Can menopausal hormone therapy
prevent heart disease?
Some research has shown that women
who start estrogen or certain types of
hormone therapy around the time of
menopause are less likely to get heart
disease. But a very large study by the U.S.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
had dierent results. Te NIH research
found that:
Estrogen alone didnt aect the risk of a
heart attack. Estrogen did increase the
risk of stroke. Estrogen also increased
the risk of blood clots in the legs.
Estrogen plus progestin may have
slightly increased the risk of a heart
attack. Progestin is a man-made form
of the female hormone progesterone
(proh-JESS-tuh-rohn). Estrogen plus
progestin raised the risk of stroke and
blood clots in the legs and lungs.
Researchers continue to study this issue.
Te age at which menopausal hormone
therapy is started may be the key to
whether this therapy reduces your chanc-
es of getting heart disease. Most of the
women in the NIH study did not start
menopausal hormone therapy until after
the age of 60, yet menopause happens for
most women after the age of 45. Some
experts think that many of the women
in the NIH study may have already de-
veloped atherosclerosis because of many
years in which their estrogen levels were
low. Tis would explain why estrogen did
not protect against heart disease in the
More research on younger women may
support the use of some kind of meno-
pausal hormone therapy to prevent heart
disease. And more research will be need-
ed to ensure that the benets of such a
therapy outweigh its risks.
For now, the safest option for meno-
pausal hormone therapy is to stick
with the lowest dose for the shortest
time to treat menopausal symptoms or
prevent osteoporosis (OSS-tee-oh-puh-
ROH-suhss), but not to prevent heart
disease. For more information on
menopausal hormone therapy, see the
Healthy Aging chapter on page 221.
Can antioxidant or folic acid
supplements prevent heart
such as beta carotene and vitamins A, C,
and E, and folate are substances found
naturally in many foods. Tey can also
be taken as dietary supplements, either
in pill form or added to food. Some early
research suggested that taking antioxi-
dant supplements might prevent athero-
sclerosis. But more recent research has
Heart Disease 29
not found this to be the case. Te best
way to get your antioxidants is by eating
fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products,
and nuts.
As with antioxidants, some early research
suggested that taking folic acid supple-
ments might reduce the risk of heart
disease. But more recent research has not
found this to be the case. Currently, the
American Heart Association does not
recommend that women use folic acid
supplements to prevent heart disease.
Even so, you need some folic acid in
your diet to help your body make blood
cells. Folic acid also is very important for
women who are or plan to become preg-
Questions to Ask Your Doctor or Nurse
to your visit with your doctor or nurse.
1. What is my risk of heart disease?
about it?
3. What are my cholesterol numbers? (These include total cholesterol, LDL or bad
cholesterol, HDL or good cholesterol, and triglycerides.) What do they mean for
me, and what do I need to do about them?
need to lose weight for my health?
5. What is my blood glucose level, and does it mean Im at risk of diabetes?
for checkups for my heart health?
7. What can you do to help me quit smoking?
qualifed nutritionist to learn more about healthy eating?
10. How can I tell if Im having a heart attack?
30 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
Diagnosing heart disease
If your doctor suspects that you have
heart disease, there are a number of tests
that she can perform to nd out for sure.
You may get just one test or more than
one. Its normal to feel worried or anx-
ious before having tests. Tell your doctor
if your fears are keeping you from get-
ting the tests you need.
Test What it tells your doctor
Electrocardiography (ih-lek-troh- Shows how well your heart performs under the stress of physical activ-
kar-dee-OG-ruh-fee), or ECG or ity using electrodes placed on the body
damage to your heart muscle due to a heart attack
Echocardiography (ek-oh-kar-dee- Sound waves create a moving picture of your heart as it beats, which
OG-ruh-fee) can show if your heart is damaged or not getting enough blood
Coronary angiography (an-jee-OG- Detects problems in blood fow in a coronary artery using x-ray and a
ruh-fee) dye that is injected into the blood
Blood tests Show if youve had a heart attack by detecting substances that are
released into the blood when the heart muscle is damaged
Computed tomography (tuh-MOG- Uses x-ray to show plaque buildup and to detect early stages of
ruh-fee) (CT) atherosclerosis
Computed tomography Uses x-ray to produce three-dimensional pictures of the heart and its
angiography coronary arteries to detect blockages
Gated single photon (FOH-ton) A safe, radioactive substance is injected into the blood and viewed
emission computed tomography, with a special camera to look for problems with blood fow to the heart,
or gated SPECT heart damage, or problems pumping blood throughout the body
Treating heart disease
If you have heart disease, it is extremely
important to control it. You can help to
do this by:
eating a heart-healthy diet
quitting smoking if you smoke
getting regular physical activity
losing weight if you are overweight or
For more information on healthy eat-
ing, see the Nutrition chapter on page
317. For more information on physical
activity, see the Fitness chapter on page
reducing stress
taking medicines as directed by your
Heart Disease 31
Along with making lifestyle changes,
you may need medicines to help control
your heart disease. Tese medicines can
cholesterol-lowering medicines
beta blockers, calcium channel block-
ers, or ACE inhibitors to lower blood
pressure and lighten the workload for
the heart
At times, other medicines may be needed:
Antiplatelet medicines stop blood cells
called platelets from clumping togeth-
er and forming clots.
Anticoagulants stop clots from forming
in your arteries and blocking blood ow.
Nitrates, such as nitroglycerin (neye-
truh-GLISS-ur-uhn), widen the coro-
nary arteries, which helps lessen chest
Trombolytic (throm-buh-LIT-ihk)
agents break up blood clots that form
during a heart attack. Te sooner these
drugs are given to someone having a
heart attack, the better they are at pre-
venting heart damage.
One well-known antiplatelet medicine is aspirin. In fact,
aspirin is given right away to anyone suspected of having a
heart attack. Your doctor may also suggest that you take as-
pirin every day if you are at risk of heart disease. If you are
your doctor will probably not suggest that you take aspirin.
Aspirin may not be good for some women because it can
cause side effects. These include bleeding in the stomach,
intestines, and brain. If youre thinking about using aspirin
to treat or prevent heart problems, talk with your doctor frst.
Special procedures or surgery
If lifestyle changes and medicines do not
improve your heart disease symptoms,
your doctor may suggest special proce-
dures or surgery. Tese include:
Tis procedure is usually done right
away if coronary angiography shows
problems in blood ow in a coronary
artery. A thin tube with a balloon at one
end is threaded into a coronary artery
that has narrowed because of plaque

buildup. Once in place, the balloon is
inated to push the plaque against the
artery wall. Tis opens the artery more

so that blood can ow freely.
Stent. A stent is a mesh tube used to
hold open a narrowed or weakened
artery. It is put in place during an an-
gioplasty. Some stents are coated with
a medicine to keep arteries from nar-
rowing or becoming blocked again.
Not all people who have angioplasty
need a stent.
Coronary artery bypass surgery. In
this procedure, a short piece of vein
or artery from another part of your
32 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
body is used to reroute blood around
a blockage in a coronary artery. Tis
restores blood ow to the heart.
Other types of heart disease
Other types of heart disease that aect
many women include heart failure and
arrhythmias (uh-RITH-mee-uhz). Tese
can result from coronary artery disease
or other problems.
Heart failure
Heart failure happens when the heart
cant pump enough blood throughout
the body. Heart failure doesnt mean that
your heart has stopped or is about to
stop working. It means that your heart
cant ll with enough blood or pump
with enough force, or both.
Heart failure develops over time as
the pumping action of the heart grows
Its more common in people older than
65 years. Coronary artery disease, high
blood pressure, and diabetes are leading
Heart failure can aect the left side, the
right side, or both sides of the heart.
Most cases involve the left side, in which
the heart cant pump enough blood to
the rest of the body. As a result, blood
and uid back up in the lungs and you
feel short of breath.
When the right side of the heart is af-
fected, blood backs up in the body, caus-
ing swelling, mainly in the lower legs
and ankles. If both sides of the heart are
failing, which is often the case, you also
feel tired and weak because not enough
blood is owing to your muscles.
Heart failure usually cant be cured. Treat-
ment often involves making lifestyle
changes and taking medicines. If you have
severe heart failure, you may need a me-
chanical heart pump or a heart transplant.
An arrhythmia is a problem with the
speed or rhythm of the heartbeat caused
by a disorder in the hearts electrical
system. Tere are many types of arrhyth-
mias. Most are harmless, but some can
be serious or even life threatening.
Te most common type of serious ar-
rhythmia is atrial brillation (b-ruh-
LAY-shuhn), or AF. With AF, the walls
of the atria quiver very fast (called -
brillation) instead of beating normally.
As a result, blood isnt pumped into the
ventricles as it should, and it pools in the
atria. Tis can cause blood clots to form
in the atria. If a clot breaks o, it might
get stuck in a blood vessel and cut o
blood supply to the brain. Tis is a type
of stroke. People with AF sometimes
take blood thinners to prevent clots and
medicines to slow the heart rate.
Heart Disease 33
Arrhythmias that start in the ventricles
can be very dangerous. With ventricular
brillations (v-b), blood is not pumped
out to the body. If the heart stops pump-
ing entirely, the condition is known as
sudden cardiac arrest. In a sudden car-
diac arrest, a person will faint within
seconds and die within minutes if not
treated quickly.
Living with heart disease
If you are taking medicines or have un-
dergone special procedures or surgery
to treat coronary artery disease, you still
need to stick with those healthy lifestyle
changes to keep plaque from clogging up
your arteries again. Follow your doctors
advice on what foods to eat, how to ease
back into a physical activity routine if
you have had surgery, and how to reduce
stress. And if you smoke, it is vital that
you quit.
Taking care of your emotional health is
also important. People with heart dis-
ease are often depressed, especially those
who have had a heart attack. If you have
heart disease and nd yourself feeling
depressed or blue, talk with your doctor
about ways to get help.
Treating depression may do more than
just help you feel better emotionally. If
you have had a heart attack, antidepres-
sants may lower your chances of having
a second heart attack or dying of heart
disease. So dont wait to seek help if you
are feeling down.
Good news about heart health
More women are becoming aware that
they are at risk of heart disease, which is
the crucial rst step. Even better, more
women are also taking heart-healthy
If you havent already joined this grow-
ing trend of heart-savvy women, now
is the time to start. Urge your children
and other family members to join you in
your eorts to lower heart disease risk.
Living heart healthy takes eort. But the
rewards can mean a healthier, longer life
for you and your loved ones. n
Cardiac Arrest
A sudden cardiac arrest is not the
same as a heart attack. In a heart at-
tack, the heart usually does not sud-
denly stop beating. But sudden cardiac
arrest may happen during recovery
from a heart attack.
Sudden cardiac arrest requires im-
mediate treatment with a defbrillator
sends an electrical shock to the heart
to restore normal rhythm.
If you suspect that someone is in
sudden cardiac arrest, call 911 im-
mediately. With every minute of delay
in providing defbrillation, the chances
of surviving sudden cardiac arrest
drop rapidly.
34 The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
One Womans Story
month. He agreed that it sounded like carpal tunnel syndrome. But he also sug-
hearing this, I fgured it was due to rushing and not eating breakfast or lunch.
The next day I stayed home from work. I couldnt say exactly whyjust that I felt extra sen-
sitive and couldnt imagine being around a lot of people. The same thing happened on
Friday. I left my laptop open at work with unfnished spreadsheets neatly displayed. I left
After an errand, I could no longer dismiss
the feelings of radiating painheartbeats
of pain. My chest felt heavy. It felt like a
pair of really big hands was squeezing my
We must make
chest, like an elephants enormous feet
were pressing outward on my chest. When
my husband came home I told him my
ourselves our
back and chest hurt and that I needed to
go to the hospital. number one cause
Blood tests at the hospital showed that I
had not had a heart attack, and the cardi-
ologist said, Youre young and a woman. I
and, as with me,
think its probably acid refux, and women
have abnormal EKGs. Lets schedule a
be given another
stress/echo test this week. Since its the
weekend, youll feel better at home.
I didnt believe for one minute that I had
chance at life.
acid refux. But did I say anything? No. But
its easy to feel stupid against someone in
a position of authority.
diseasepremature heart disease, which I inherited from my father, who died young.
and you deserve to be heard.
La Habra, California
Heart Disease 35
For More Information
Offce on Womens Health, HHS
200 Independence Ave SW, Room 712E
Washington, DC 20201
Web site:
Phone number: (800) 994-9662,
(888) 220-5446 TDD
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Health Information Center, NIH
PO Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
Web site:
Phone number: (301) 592-8573,
(240) 629-3255 TTY
Offce of Womens Health, FDA
5600 Fishers Ln
Rockville, MD 20857
Web site:
Phone number: (888) 463-6332
WISEWOMAN Well-Integrated Screen-
ing and Evaluation for Women Across the
Nation, CDC
4770 Buford Hwy NE, MS K-77
Atlanta, GA 30341-3717
Web site:
Phone number: (800) 232-4636,
(888) 2326348 TTY
American Heart Association
7272 Greenville Ave
Dallas, Tx 75231
Web site:
Phone number: (800) 242-8721
Sister to Sister
4701 Willard Ave, Suite 223
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Web site:
Texas Heart Institute Heart Information
PO Box 20345
Houston, Tx 77225-0345
Web site:
Phone number: (800) 292-2221