Newswise — With a commitment to medical innovations and minimally invasive treatments, physicians at Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart & Vascular Care are recognized as leaders in cardiovascular care. From prevention to treatment of cardiac conditions, experts are available to comment on all aspects of cardiac health.
Demystifying Heart Attacks in Women
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the most prevalent fatal condition in women, causing one in three deaths each year. Though women account for nearly half of all heart attack deaths, they tend to ignore their symptoms. While men may experience pain in the center of chest, women often describe pressure, fullness or tightness in the chest as well as shortness of breath, discomfort in the upper belly or below the chest bone or prolonged fatigue, arm pain and neck tightness. Women should recognize symptoms of heart attack and seek medical treatment right away before permanent damage is done to the heart muscle. Women at high risk for heart attack are those with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, a family history of cardiovascular disease, sedentary lifestyle, as well as those who smoke or are overweight. Cardiologist Julia Shin, MD, is available to discuss risk factors for women.
Women are Candidates for Heart Surgery in Increasing Numbers
More and more women are prone to serious debilitating conditions which require heart surgery. Since women often dismiss their symptoms for a longer period than men, they are often sicker by the time they become candidates for surgery. Dr. Robert Michler, Surgeon-in-Chief and the Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery has built a team that has saved the lives of thousands of women with advanced heart disease. Several of Montefiore’s female patients, such as Roxanne Watson and Consuelo Vallejo, are quite willing to tell their stories to help other women avoid heart disease.
Lifestyle Risk Factors in Women
Lifestyle risks for heart disease are not limited to men and women with increasing numbers are smoking and developing obesity. Women should identify their personal heart attack risk factors, know their family history, keep their cholesterol numbers and blood pressure in check and lose weight through diet and exercise. Cardiologists Dr. Julia Shin and Dr. Julie Ramos encourages patients to quit smoking, exercise more and eat healthier.
Know your LDL and HDL Numbers
Patients should know their “cholesterol numbers” in order to ensure good heart health. LDL is “bad cholesterol” that clogs arteries with plaque leading to heart attack and stroke. HDL is the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke because it prevents LDL buildup. Keeping these levels “in check” and examining other risk factors for heart disease including high triglycerides, excess belly fat, family history of heart disease and lack of diet and exercise, can help patients prevent against heart disease. Dr. Mario Garcia and Dr. Robert Ostfeld guide patients in making lifestyle changes and using medications, if indicated, to maintain heart health.
Your Personality Type May Affect Your Heart Health
Research confirms what doctors have suspected for a very long time - that there is a clear connection between heart disease and psycho-social factors. In fact, recent studies show that a person with Type D personality, someone who is anti-social and lacks social connections, may be more at risk for heart disease.
RSS