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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — Women are more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer in the United States. In fact, about 50 percent of the women in this country will die of heart attack.
That was the message of Dr. David Lorah, a family practitioner from Glenwood Springs who spoke at the second annual Women Connecting in Health luncheon hosted by the Valley View Hospital Foundation.
"Heart disease is the number one killer of women," Lorah said.
Even more dramatic than the statistics was the story of retired nurse Mary Trotta, who lives 15 miles up the Fryingpan River.
About three months ago, Trotta was out on a walk with a friend and her baby, pushing the stroller, when she felt some tightness in her chest. "It was just a little discomfort," she said.
That was the message of Dr. David Lorah, a family practitioner from Glenwood Springs who spoke at the second annual Women Connecting in Health luncheon hosted by the Valley View Hospital Foundation.
"Heart disease is the number one killer of women," Lorah said.
Even more dramatic than the statistics was the story of retired nurse Mary Trotta, who lives 15 miles up the Fryingpan River.
About three months ago, Trotta was out on a walk with a friend and her baby, pushing the stroller, when she felt some tightness in her chest. "It was just a little discomfort," she said.
She had some tingling in her hands and told her friend about it.
Trotta didn't think it was anything to worry about. The next day she had another episode of tightness in her chest, but it went away, just as it had the day before.
The tightness came and went and then on the fifth day, she woke up at 4 a.m. with tightness "and it didn't go away," Trotta said. "I know I didn't have crushing chest pain," the classic symptom of a heart attack. "There was no elephant on my chest."
But it finally got her attention.
Nor was Trotta a prime candidate for heart disease. A vibrant looking 70-something, Trotta said she is physically active and has no family history of heart problems.
Trotta - whose husband, a cardiologist, died 17 years ago - lived by herself. Now concerned, she called her neighbor and asked for a ride to Valley View Hospital. When she arrived at the emergency room, the doctor paid attention.
"Fortunately at Valley View they did not take my symptoms lightly," she said.
The next day she was transported to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction for cardiac surgery.
Women are at a significant disadvantage when they have heart disease.
"The medical field has dropped the ball with women who have heart disease," Lorah said. "Women have heart attacks as often as men, but they have been under-diagnosed and under-treated."
Women, Trotta said, need a champion for heart disease, "like Susan Komen has done for breast cancer and Katie Couric for colon cancer."
They need to be educated about heart disease and proactive in their health care.
When women have heart attacks they have different symptoms than men, Lorah said. They don't usually have the grinding chest pain, breathlessness and sweating that are classic signs in men.
"Women with heart disease are typically older and less likely to receive standard therapies than men," Lorah said.
Heart attack can be more devastating for women. "Women are more likely to have sudden death (from heart attack) than men," Lorah said.
Doctors are now aware of additional risk factors for heart disease beyond the big four - high blood pressure, family history, obesity and smoking. Metabolic signs, including cholesterol levels - "bad" LDL cholesterol levels above 100, "good" HDL levels above 50 and elevated triglyceride levels - indicating adult onset of diabetes, are now understood as clear signs of impending heart disease in men and women.
"Diabetes increases the risk by 200 to 300 percent for men and 300 to 700 percent for women," Lorah said.
While new and improved medicines are available for treating high cholesterol as well as heart disease, the old lifestyle stand-bys are very effective, he said: Exercise five days a week for 30 minutes, follow a diet low in fat and salt and high in fruit and vegetables, and for those who smoke, stop.
Valley View Hospital recently opened its cardiac catheterization laboratory, which can treat patients, many of whom would have been sent to St. Mary's in Grand Junction.
"We have the most high-tech cath lab in seven states," said critical care director Kim Kramer.
Contact Donna Gray: 945-8515, ext. 16605
dgray@postindependent.com
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
Trotta didn't think it was anything to worry about. The next day she had another episode of tightness in her chest, but it went away, just as it had the day before.
The tightness came and went and then on the fifth day, she woke up at 4 a.m. with tightness "and it didn't go away," Trotta said. "I know I didn't have crushing chest pain," the classic symptom of a heart attack. "There was no elephant on my chest."
But it finally got her attention.
Nor was Trotta a prime candidate for heart disease. A vibrant looking 70-something, Trotta said she is physically active and has no family history of heart problems.
Trotta - whose husband, a cardiologist, died 17 years ago - lived by herself. Now concerned, she called her neighbor and asked for a ride to Valley View Hospital. When she arrived at the emergency room, the doctor paid attention.
"Fortunately at Valley View they did not take my symptoms lightly," she said.
The next day she was transported to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction for cardiac surgery.
Women are at a significant disadvantage when they have heart disease.
"The medical field has dropped the ball with women who have heart disease," Lorah said. "Women have heart attacks as often as men, but they have been under-diagnosed and under-treated."
Women, Trotta said, need a champion for heart disease, "like Susan Komen has done for breast cancer and Katie Couric for colon cancer."
They need to be educated about heart disease and proactive in their health care.
When women have heart attacks they have different symptoms than men, Lorah said. They don't usually have the grinding chest pain, breathlessness and sweating that are classic signs in men.
"Women with heart disease are typically older and less likely to receive standard therapies than men," Lorah said.
Heart attack can be more devastating for women. "Women are more likely to have sudden death (from heart attack) than men," Lorah said.
Doctors are now aware of additional risk factors for heart disease beyond the big four - high blood pressure, family history, obesity and smoking. Metabolic signs, including cholesterol levels - "bad" LDL cholesterol levels above 100, "good" HDL levels above 50 and elevated triglyceride levels - indicating adult onset of diabetes, are now understood as clear signs of impending heart disease in men and women.
"Diabetes increases the risk by 200 to 300 percent for men and 300 to 700 percent for women," Lorah said.
While new and improved medicines are available for treating high cholesterol as well as heart disease, the old lifestyle stand-bys are very effective, he said: Exercise five days a week for 30 minutes, follow a diet low in fat and salt and high in fruit and vegetables, and for those who smoke, stop.
Valley View Hospital recently opened its cardiac catheterization laboratory, which can treat patients, many of whom would have been sent to St. Mary's in Grand Junction.
"We have the most high-tech cath lab in seven states," said critical care director Kim Kramer.
Contact Donna Gray: 945-8515, ext. 16605
dgray@postindependent.com
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
Heart health
Women differ from men when it comes to heart attacks. Here are a few facts:
• Diabetes increases the risk for heart attack by 200-300 percent for men and 300-700 percent for women • Marital stress increases the risk in women by 300 percent and 0 percent for men • Work stress increases the risk in men by 600 percent and in women by 0 percent What are the major risk factors for heart attack? • Family history • High blood pressure • Obesity • Smoking - Source: Dr. David Lorah |
