Heart diseases in women

Incidence of Heart diseases in women is rising due to changing lifestyle of new age women and stress at both home and office. Smoking is the major preventable risk factor for heart diseases in women.

The underlining mechanism is: (narrowing of blood vessels/Atherosclerosis)

Decrease (shrinking) in the size of coronary arteries (vessels supplying blood to the heart), thereby free flowing of the blood is affected. There is more amount of fat accumulation inside the walls of the blood vessels. The more decrease in the size of the vessels, the earlier is the heart attack.

Causative factors:

1. Age: Women of above 65 years of age are more prone to heart attacks.

2. Smoking: One of the main culprits and the dangerous factor. Nicotine in the tobacco makes the vessels to shrink in the size and decrease in inner capacity volume.

3. Excessive in taking of more fatty food materials like, non vegetarian diet, ghee, Fried foods, readymade junk foods, etc.

4. Diabetes: When it is not under control.

5. Sedentary life: Lack of exercise is more common in the present day modern life.

6. Race and genetic factors.

Some of the above factors can be avoided, like Smoking, fatty foods intake, sedentary life, diabetes, etc.

Age, genetic race factors are beyond our capacity to control them. Avoid the following risk factors, there by, the individual can be saved from heart attacks:

1. Stop smoking: In the first year itself, the risk is decreased by 50%. After 5 years of stopping of smoking, your health condition is just like the health status of “Non smokers”.

2. Avoid fatty foods: Instead take fresh fruits, vegetables and fish without frying with oil. Take fewer amounts of snacks.

3. Body weight should be under control: The BMI (Body mass index) should be between -18.5 to 24.9. The weight measurement should be 35 inches or less.

4. Avoid anxiety, stress and strain: By keeping them under control, the risk of heart attacks is decreased by 70%.

5. High B.P and Diabetes: Women having them may prone to heart attacks 3-7 times more. So it is well and good to keep them under control by following appropriate food habits, doing regular exercise and taking drugs regularly.

The signs and symptoms of heart diseases:

1. Pain or weight in the chest, and it gradually extends to upper limbs, neck, to the facial bones containing the teeth, breathing becomes difficult, tiredness and sleeplessness (especially in women).

Tests to be done: (if necessary)

Stress test, CT scan, Angiogram, Cardiac MRI, etc.

Management of the cases in women:

1. Balloon angioplasty or Stunting
2. By- pass grafting.

We can prevent more than 50% of heart diseases by changing our lifestyle and through regular screening.

Calcium score indicates Heart Disease risk

Calcium levels in the arteries of heart (coronary arteries) indicate your risk of getting heart diseases. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score helps to predict one’s risk for heart attack irrespective of age, race and bad habits. Calcium score indicates the level of calcium on the walls of the coronary arteries. This research study was done by University of California scientists and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. They did the research study on 6,700 persons from all major ethnic groups. Calcium levels in the coronary arteries can be detected by CT scan and calciums core acts as marker for coronary artery diseases. Prognosis worsens as calcium levels rise in the arteries.

If Coronary calcium score is between 101 and 300, risk of getting heart attack is 8 times higher while risk is 10 times more if calcium score is above 300.

CT scan screening is a non-invasive technique that helps to prevent heart attacks although it is an expensive one. Cardiac CT scan costs about $250 to $500 but helps to find out even minor obstruction (fat or calcium) in the arteries that was missed by other diagnostic tests.

Cardiac CT scan may gradually replace tests like Treadmill. One should not do this CT scan without physician’s advice. Before this test, one should take routine tests like Blood cholesterol, C-reactive protein, ECG and ECHO under doctor’s supervision.