Speaking of Women's Health is an annual event dedicated to educating women to make informed decisions about health, well-being and personal safety for themselves and their families. This year's event took place on May 12th at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Merrillville, IN.
Franciscan Physicians Hospital was excited to have Hilton Hudson II, M.D., F.A.C.S., a cardio-thoracic surgeon at FPH, attend the event and give a presentation on heart disease in women. Dr. Hudson, over the course of 40 minutes, covered a range of topics including heart disease symptoms, causes, preventions, and treatments. FPH and Dr. Hudson would like to share some of that information with you.
Dr. Hudson, in his presentation to roughly 30 women, opened with stories of 3 middle-aged women with heart disease. These women, coming from different backgrounds and lifestyles, denied the facts and evidence that was leading to heart failure and eventually encountered critical health issues, and even death in one case. The point of these stories: to explain how even young, healthy women are at risk.
After telling these stories, Dr. Hudson explained several conditions including coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and angina (when the heart is starved for blood). For all conceptual purposes, Dr. Hudson reiterated the notion that coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease were, for the patient's understanding, basically the same.
Dr. Hudson explained that angina is a condition in which the heart is starved for blood, while a heart attack occurs when blood flow to an area of your heart is completely blocked. Angina, the lack of oxygen-rich blood flowing to an area of heart muscle, can be recognized as a pressure of squeezing in your chest. Pain may also occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Dr. Hudson's consistent advice: don't risk it. If you're having pain, see a doctor and GET CHECKED OUT!
At this point, Dr. Hudson began speaking about coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. He relayed the following statistics: CHD is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. One in nine women ages 45-65 has coronary artery disease (CAD), and one in three women older than 65 has CAD. Furthermore, CHD in women has more complications than in men, has less successful bypass surgery and angioplasty, and generally has delayed diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Hudson's words were strong yet again: get checked out if you're feeling any abnormal pain or discomfort!
A large indicator of women with CHD is risk factors, which were highlighted as a significant motivator for getting evaluated. These include:
-Family history (strongest risk factor)
-Smoking (disproportionately raises your risk for every type of cancer)
-Cholesterol levels
-Hypertension
-Diabetes
-Obesity and being overweight
-African American ethnicity
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack or CAD, brought forward by Dr. Hudson, include:
-Check pain
-Vague check pressure
-Weight gain
-Vomiting
-Palpitations (abnormal heart beats; too fast or too slow)
Now for the good news! Dr. Hudson covered both prevention and treatment of CAD in women. BE ADVISED: THE BEST TREATMENT IS PREVENTION!! Dr. Hudson made this very clear to all women in the presentation. See your doctor and be aware of YOUR risk factors. Also, don't smoke, keep diabetes controlled, and exercise; those who exercise have a 44% lower risk of CHD!
Women should keep a consistently healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, low saturated fats, and low cholesterol. Also, cholesterol lowering drugs, called statins, can help to reduce strokes and death from CHD. But before considering medications, talk to your doctor. He/she can help you make the best medical decision that takes your risk factors into the picture.
If, and only if, prevention fails, there are treatment options available, says Dr. Hudson. These may include:
-Bypass surgery
-Valve surgery
-Stents
-Angioplasty
-Endovascular stenting
It is Dr. Hudson's belief that before anyone reaches the point of a treatment listed above, she/he should choose prevention. Prevention is easier, cheaper, and less painful than treatment alternatives.
In retrospect, Dr. Hudson covered all of these topics with one recurring theme: avoid denial and get checked out if you're experiencing any abnormal or uncomfortable symptoms. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. Don't let it take you or your loved ones.
For further information on heart disease and wellness information, visit our complete online health library.
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