questions to ask your doctor 5Heart disease – also called cardiovascular disease — is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting 75 million Americans. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 800,000 Americans die every year from heart disease. The risks to men are more widely known, which explains why the public often views heart disease as a greater threat to men. But heart disease claims women and men in nearly equal numbers. • A woman suffers a heart attack every 90 seconds, and heart attack signs are often different in women. • Heart disease is the number one cause of death among women in the U.S., claiming the lives of one in three women. • Heart disease and stroke claim twice as many women’s lives as all types of cancer combined. • Almost half of African American women over age 20 (48.9 percent) have some form of heart disease. • Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Latinas: nearly 30 percent of Latinas die of heart disease. , While it’s startling that 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease, the positive news is that the vast majority of heart disease is preventable — as much as 80 percent can be prevented through lifestyle changes. Risk factors include smoking, poor diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, family history, and lack of access to preventive health care. The key is early detection through heart disease screenings and implementing lifestyle changes to significantly reduce one’s risk. All women should be screened for heart disease as part of their annual doctor’s visit to ensure they know their risk factors and what they can do to prevent it. Every woman should ask her primary health care provider the following five questions; the answers will help assess her risk and guide her prevention efforts: 1. Based on my family history, what is my risk of heart disease? Heart disease tends to run in families and is thought to have some genetic component. 2. What is my Body Mass Index? The risk of heart disease increases along with one’s BMI; a person with a BMI over 25 is considered to be “overweight” and at heightened risk. 3. Which cardiovascular screening tests do I need? Depending on one’s age and overall health, the typical tests include: blood pressure, HDL (“good” cholesterol), LDL (“bad” cholesterol), triglycerides, fasting glucose, and waist circumference. 4. Should I take a daily aspirin? Only your doctor can advise if you are a good candidate for aspirin therapy to reduce the clumping action of platelets — possibly lowering your risk of heart attack or stroke. 5. What can I do to lower my risk? As noted, most heart disease can be prevented through lifestyle changes. So, if you smoke, ask your doctor to recommend a smoking cessation program. Talk honestly about your activity level and ideas for easy exercises you can do for 30 minutes a day. Discuss your diet and whether you eat enough fruits and vegetables, and if your salt consumption can contribute to elevated blood pressure. If you’re overweight, can your doctor recommend a successful weight loss program or nutritionist? Would you benefit from medications to lower cholesterol or high blood pressure? Finally, ask if you need to begin to see a cardiologist or other specialist. No woman should leave her doctor’s office until she has these answers, knows her risks, and is provided with a personalized prevention strategy. While physicians are responsible for ensuring that women receive the proper medical care, prevention of heart disease is in every woman’s hands. We must inform and empower ourselves to obtain the answers about our cardiovascular health and to act upon our doctors’ recommendations to make the necessary changes to lower our risk. 44 onthetown onthetowntexas.com OTT Texas JanFeb Issue.indd 44 1/28/2014 1:26:08 PM
Be seen. Be heard. onthetown 45 OTT Texas JanFeb Issue.indd 45 1/28/2014 1:26:09 PM
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