Penn Cardiac Care Recognizes Risk for Heart
Disease Differs by Gender
While heart disease threatens the lives of both men
and women and remains the #1 killer in the United States,
there are certain gender differences that are critical
in accurately diagnosing and treating heart disease.
Women tend to develop heart disease about seven years
later than men, and usually after menopause, even if
brought on prematurely by a hysterectomy. Studies have
shown that women who suffered a heart attack are twice
as likely as men to die within the first year. They
are also more likely than men to experience a second
attack. Heart failure is also a complication more frequently
seen in women.
Kelly
Anne Spratt, MD, a cardiologist specializing
in women’s health and prevention at Penn
Cardiac Care at Presbyterian Medical Center states,
“Women must know that any chest pain that
lasts longer than 15 minutes needs to be taken
seriously.”
In reviewing recent major studies, Mariell
Jessup, MD, Director of the Women’s Cardiovascular
Program at Penn Cardiac Care, found that there
are important baseline differences by gender.
She reports, “Gender differences, including
age, race and cigarette smoking histories, are
known to influence mortality in heart failure."
The single greatest risk factor for coronary disease
in women is smoking. It causes the arteries and capillaries
to constrict and is even more harmful to women than
to men.
Exercise and diet can also help prevent heart disease
by reducing weight, cholesterol levels and the risk
of sudden death. Surprisingly, only 25 percent of women
regularly exercise and increasingly, many American women
are becoming overweight. In an effort to lose weight,
they often load up on “low fat foods” and
consume too many calories in the process. With lack
of exercise, an unhealthy diet, and inactive lifestyles,
obesity is becoming a hurdle to staying heart healthy.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing heart disease and risk for heart attack in
women can be complicated by several factors. According
to Dr. Jessup, “Women still face discrimination
in the way heart disease is diagnosed and treated.”
Nearly 75 percent of women with heart disease are over
the age of 65 and often suffer from other medical conditions.
They often experience atypical symptoms of heart disease,
such as fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea or abdominal
discomfort and pain in the jaw, throat and back, which
may be disguised by or mistaken for other medical problems.
Unfortunately, testing for heart disease can
also be problematic. Stress testing, a routine
diagnostic tool used in detecting heart disease,
results in a significant number of false positives
in women. For this reason, Penn Cardiac Care physicians
rely on a variety of specialized tests, including
thallium, cardiolite imaging, and stress echocardiograms
as well. Another option offered to women, particularly
those with high risk factors, such as family history
of heart disease or high cholesterol, is the noninvasive
electron beam CT (“Ultrafast CT”) scan.
This test detects evidence of heart disease early
by measuring the build up of coronary plaque (a
strong indicator of heart disease) in the arteries.
Penn’s Preventive Cardiology Program has
been successful in lowering cholesterol and risk
for heart disease by creating lifestyle and diet
programs tailored to each patient.
Today, there are effective treatments for coronary
artery disease, including angioplasty and stents,
that open up blocked arteries to allow blood flow.
Kathleen
E. Magness, MD, a cardiologist at Penn Cardiac
Care at the University of Pennsylvania Medical
Center and Phoenixville Hospital who performs
these procedures, states, “These options
are equally effective in men and women. Regardless
of gender, patients must be aware of their risk
and the symptoms of heart disease for early detection.”
For more information:
UPHS
Press Release, March 20, 2002: Women Still Face Inequality
in Diagnosis, Treatment and Clinical Studies of Heart
Disease
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