It is important for women to know the symptoms of heart disease and signs that a heart attack may be occurring.
By Lisa S. Motavalli, M.D. Princeton HealthCare System
Attention, women: Do you know your numbers?
No, not your dress size or your shoe size, but the more important numbers that indicate your risk for heart disease.
If not, now is the time to find out and take the first step toward keeping your heart healthy.
Cardiovascular diseases are the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, claiming the lives of nearly half a million women each year, according to the American Heart Association. In fact, cardiovascular diseases kill more women every year than all cancers combined.
Yet heart disease is often preventable, and reducing your risk starts with knowing your numbers — cholesterol levels, blood pressure, glucose levels, weight and body mass index.
The American Heart Association makes the following recommendations:
• Total cholesterol level should be less than 200. The optimal level for LDL otherwise know as bad cholesterol is under 100. HDL (good cholesterol) should be 50 or higher.
• Triglyceride levels should be less than 150.
• Blood pressure should be less than 120/80.
• Fasting glucose should be under 100.
• Body mass index should be less than 25.
• Waist circumference should be less than 35 inches.
These numbers can be determined with a simple blood screening and visit to your health care provider. If your numbers are higher than the optimal levels, you may be at greater risk for heart disease. Risk factors include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, family history and age. Incidence of heart disease in women increases nearly threefold after menopause.
If you have any of these risk factors — and even if you don’t — there are certain actions recommended by the American Heart Association that you can take to improve or maintain your heart health.
• If you smoke, quit now.
• Get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods and fish.
• Limit foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol.
• Limit your sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day.
• If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation — an average of no more than one drink a day for nonpregnant women.
Additionally, it is important for women to know the symptoms of heart disease and signs that a heart attack may be occurring. While some heart attacks are intense and happen quickly, more often than not the symptoms start slowly and less severe. However, they are no less damaging and dangerous. Symptoms of a heart attack include:
• Chest discomfort. This may feel like a pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as one or both arms, neck, back, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nausea, cold sweats or lightheadedness.
Chest pain or discomfort is the most common heart attack symptom in women and men, but it’s important to note that women are more likely to experience some of the other symptoms, as well.
If you or a loved one experiences the symptoms of a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately and seek emergency help.
Heart disease is often first diagnosed through an electrocardiogram (EKG), which measures the electrical activity of the heart. In addition, a doctor may recommend a stress test to determine if there is adequate blood flow to the heart muscle during exercise. In certain cases a cardiac catheterization — a procedure in which dye is injected into the heart arteries to help doctors see the blood vessels and look for blockages — may be necessary.
Treatment for heart disease varies, and ranges from medication to surgery. The best treatment, however, is to prevent the disease from developing in the first place. By knowing your numbers and leading a healthy lifestyle you can help yourself stay heart healthy.
Princeton HealthCare System, through its Community Education & Outreach Program, will host a discussion, “Cardiovascular Risk Factors: What Women Need to Know to Stay Heart Healthy,” from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the UMCP Breast Health Center, 300B Princeton- Hightstown Road, East Windsor Medical Commons 2, East Windsor. To register for the free session or for more information, visit www.princetonhcs.org/calendar or call (888) 897-8979.
Dr. Lisa S. Motavalli is a cardiologist and member of the medical staff of Princeton HealthCare System.
To find a physician with Princeton HealthCare System, call (888) 742-7496 or visit www.princetonhcs.org.

