One woman is killed by cardiovascular disease every 80 seconds in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. And heart disease is the №1 killer of women, more deadly than all cancers combined.
Even worse, researchers find that an increasing number of young women, under age 55, are dying from undiagnosed cardiovascular problems, often because their experience of heart disease and heart attacks can be very different from that of men.
In this episode of The No-Mistake Zone, Lisa and Leslie delve into some of differences between male and female heart disease; you’ll hear the story of Barbara Fleeman, a woman who was repeatedly told (inaccurately) that nothing was wrong with her heart; and cardiologist Dr. Noel Bairy Merz will reveal the four words you must say if you’re having a heart attack. Share this must-listen episode with the women you love!
Common Symptoms of a Heart Attack
- Uncomfortable pressure in your chest that lasts more than a few minutes
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Nausea
- Discomfort in 1 or both arms
- Jaw or neck pain
(Source: Go Red for Women)
Women often misinterpret these flu-like symptoms to be of no great importance, but if you believe you are experiencing a heart attack, do not brush it off. Call 911 and seek help immediately.
What is Coronary Microvascular Disease?
In brief, coronary microvascular disease is a condition found in the heart’s smallest arteries, whereby plaque spreads evenly throughout artery walls. As many as 3 million women with heart disease have this type of cholesterol plaque that doesn’t build up into those major blockages that men usually get. It doesn’t show up in conventional tests, and it requires a high-resolution cardiac MRI to detect it.
(Source: What is Coronary Microvascular Disease?)
Meet Our Guest Dr. Noel Bairey Merz
- Medical Director at Cedars-Sinai’s Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center
- TED Talk: “The Single Biggest Health Threat Women Face”
- Dr. Bairey Merz checks Katie Couric’s heart
- WISE Study
Episode Credits
- Music is by PremiumBeat
- Audio clip “Just a Little Heart Attack,” is from Elizabeth Bank’s Go Red for Women campaign
- Audio clip, “A Heartfelt Stand Up,” is from Rosie O’Donnell’s HBO Special
- The No-Mistake Zone with Leslie Michelson is produced by Lisa Sweetingham
- Post-Production is by Shelli Gonshorowski and Sarah Lebowitz
- Special thanks to Sally Stewart and Lissa Morales
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Originally published at patientsplaybook.com.
Originally published at medium.com