Program Description
The Heart Center of WFUBMC has implemented a new program specifically focused on women’s heart health issues.
Susan Butler, RN, MSN, Women’s Heart Health Coordinator, is emphasizing outreach education to community and civic groups as well as the medical community. Screening for heart disease will be provided at locations in the Forsyth County area in an effort to make women’s heart disease awareness more visible.
While the efforts to improve recognition of heart disease as common to both men and women have helped, the majority of people believe heart disease is a “man’s disease”. The reality is that women have the same risk for heart disease as do men – it still remains the number one cause of death for men and women. Heart disease kills more women than all types of cancers. Heart disease rates are also higher in African American women compared to white women.
Women’s symptoms during a heart attack may include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Heartburn
- Atypical chest pain
- Back or jaw pain
- Sweating
The classic symptoms of crushing chest pain with radiation to the neck and jaw, profound sweating, and shortness of breath don’t always occur in women. Unusual symptoms “between the lip and the hip” in women should be considered as cardiac in origin.
While family history of heart disease is beyond control, lifestyle modifications are the first steps in preventing or modifying heart disease risk for women.
- Stop smoking (Within 2 years of quitting smoking, the risk of heart disease is back to that of people who have never smoked.)
- Exercise (As little as 30 minutes of brisk walking five days per week decreased the likelihood of a cardiac event by greater than 50%.)
- Know your numbers (Pay attention to your systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as your cholesterol levels and body mass index are important.)
- Make dietary changes (Control your sodium intake and monitor dietary fats to improve blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels.)
- Lose weight if needed.
Medications to keep blood pressure under control and improve lipid levels are also options, if smoking cessation, exercise, dietary changes and weight loss have not been successful.
The Women’s Heart Health program goals are facilitate education about the uniqueness of women’s symptoms and in turn, improve access to care and treatment. If you are interested in obtaining more information about the Women’s Heart Health program, please call Susan Butler, RN at 336-713-4427.