Durban - Women are ignoring the symptoms of heart disease and many doctors are missing them too, resulting in heart attacks that could have been prevented, according to a Durban cardiologist.
Ahead of World Heart Day on Sunday September 29, Dr Cassim Hansa, a cardiologist based at Life Entabeni Hospital, is urging women to be vigilant and get symptoms checked, even if they are niggly and vague.
“Chest pain is not typical of cardiovascular disease in women,” says Cassim. “Women tend not to complain and when they are busy with families and work, they put off going to a doctor for symptoms that are not clearly defined. When they do seek advice, they are sometimes diagnosed with reflux, a muscular-skeletal problem or stress and anxiety.”
The World Heart Federation reports that heart disease and stroke are the biggest killers of women globally – taking more lives than all cancers, tuberculosis, HIV and Aids and malaria combined.
Dr Vash Mungal-Singh, chief executive of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa (HSFSA), says it doesn’t help that heart disease is thought to be a “men’s disease” when, globally, it kills more women.
“Women need to become aware that heart disease is a real danger and something they should act on,” she says. “Women in developing countries are more at risk than those in the developed world. In South Africa the proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths in women aged 35 to 59 years is 150 percent higher than that of women in the US.”
The symptoms of heart disease in women are not as clear as they are in men. While men (and some women) typically experience a crushing pain in the chest, sometimes radiating to the shoulder, arm and jaw, women may experience vague symptoms, like back and shoulder pain, abdominal discomfort and pain that feels like indigestion. They may also experience nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, unexplained fatigue and sweating – which are often dismissed or ignored.
Westville grandmother Jean Strachan, 69, ignored symptoms and later found out she had had three heart attacks – and didn’t even know. She agrees that women’s symptoms do not always ring alarm bells.
“One evening I felt a bit dizzy and nauseous,” she recalls. “I went to bed and felt better the next day, so I carried on as normal, and I certainly never gave my heart a thought.”
A few months later, she had a second episode of feeling dizzy and unwell. “I felt breathless and had a bit of backache, but I still didn’t think it was my heart. My son Grant called an ambulance and I was taken to hospital. An angiogram showed that three heart vessels were almost blocked and I would need a triple bypass. Unbeknown to me, I had had three heart attacks and my heart function was only 36 percent.”
Jean underwent a triple bypass seven weeks ago and her recovery has been good, but it was a wake-up call for her and she urges women to be aware of even the slightest of symptoms and to get them checked out.
Jean had a family history of heart disease, a major risk factor. She has stopped smoking and will be having regular cholesterol tests from now on – something everyone should do, she says.
Hansa warns that unexplained shortness of breath or pain upon exertion should be a red flag.
“If the pain goes away with rest, get it checked. Your heart is similar to a car engine. Vessels develop narrowing and not enough blood – or fuel – gets through to make the heart muscle function well. If the fuel pipe is blocked, the car will stall. It is the same with you and your heart.
“A narrowing of the artery, caused by a build-up of plaque can take place over 10 or 20 years and the body acclimatises. People think they are short of breath because they are getting older or are unfit, but excessive tiredness or shortness of breath after exertion should be checked out.”
Jessica Bacon, registered dietitian at the HSFSA says many women need to keep stress in check and warns against “comfort eating” of high fat, high sugar foods. Not only will they lead to weight gain, they are also bad for the heart.
How to eat for a healthy heart
* Avoid having unhealthy snacks at home so you are not tempted.
* Make time to sit down and eat a balanced meal.
* Eat five fruits and vegetables a day.
* Keep unhealthy fats like saturated fat to a minimum.
* High fibre foods will mean you are less hungry.
* Replace sugary drinks with water. - Daily News