Go red for women

As I approach another decade of my life, yes 60, I have been really thinking about what I am doing to make sure that I will be around for many more years to come. Heart disease runs on my mother’s side of the family. This month being the month for the GO RED FOR WOMEN campaign, I decided I would contribute by sharing information from www.goredforwomen.org . In fact this whole piece is directly from the website. There is a lot more information on that web site that you should read about this very deadly disease for women.

Do you know what causes heart disease in women? What about the survival rate? Or whether women of all ethnicities share the same risk?

The fact is: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman every minute!

But it doesn’t affect all women alike, and the warning signs for women aren’t the same in men. What’s more: These facts only begin to scratch the surface.

There are a several misconceptions about heart disease in women, and they could be putting you at risk. The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement advocates for more research and swifter action for women’s heart health for this very reason. In this section, we’ll arm you with the facts and dispel some myths – because the truth can no longer be ignored.

Atherosclerosis is often referred to as “hardening of the arteries.” The word comes from the Greek words athero (meaning gruel or paste) and sclerosis (hardness). It’s the process in which deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances build up in the inner lining of an artery. This buildup is called plaque.

Atherosclerosis is a slow, complex disease that typically starts in childhood and often progresses when people grow older. This disease progresses rapidly in some people in their 20s. In others, it doesn’t become a threat until they’ve reached their 50s or 60s.

Causes of atherosclerosis

People with a family history of premature cardiovascular disease have an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Other risk factors for atherosclerosis include:

High blood cholesterol (especially LDL or “bad” cholesterol over 100 mg/dL)
Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke (the chemicals in cigarettes can cause damage to blood vessels accelerating the development of atherosclerosis)
High blood pressure (it damages the lining of blood vessels making them susceptible to atherosclerosis)
Diabetes mellitus
Obesity and excess weight
Physical inactivity

Symptoms of a silent heart attack

“Just like the name implies, a silent heart attack is a heart attack that has either no symptoms or minimal symptoms or unrecognized symptoms,” says Deborah Ekery, M.D., a clinical cardiologist at Heart Hospital of Austin and with Austin Heart in Austin, TX. “But it is like any other heart attack where blood flow to a section of the heart is temporarily blocked and can cause scarring and damage to the heart muscle.”

Ekery regularly sees patients who come in complaining of fatigue and problems related to heart disease, and discovers, through an MRI or EKG, that the person had actually suffered a heart attack weeks or months ago, without ever realizing it.

“People who have these so-called silent heart attacks are more likely to have non-specific and subtle symptoms, such as indigestion or a case of the flu, or they may think that they strained a muscle in their chest or their upper back. It also may not be discomfort in the chest, it may be in the jaw or the upper back or arms,” she says. “Some folks have prolonged and excessive fatigue that is unexplained. Those are some of the less specific symptoms for a heart attack, but ones that people may ignore or attribute to something else.”

What to do during a silent heart attack

The “silent” in a silent heart attack is the complicating factor—often, women don’t realize they’re experiencing a medical emergency. If you do notice symptoms of a silent heart attack, try to stay calm and call 911 immediately. When you get to the hosptial, make it clear that you think you may be having a heart attack and not an anxiety attack. Advocate for yourself or, if you can, bring along someone who will advocate for you.

How to prevent a silent heart attack

Ekery advises her patients to know their risk factors, be aware of their blood pressure and cholesterol, exercise regularly and avoid smoking to decrease their risk of a heart attack. Above all, she cautions them to listen to their bodies, and if something isn’t right, talk to a doctor.

“People know their own bodies, and if something seems unusual, they ought to be evaluated,” she says, “particularly if they have any of those risks.”

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HEART DISEASE

“It’s a man’s disease.” “But I’m too young.” “Breast cancer is the real threat.” If you’ve heard or said any of this before, you’re not alone.

The real fact is, relying on these false assumptions can cost you your life. And for 19-year-old Regan Judd, it nearly did. “I kept thinking of my grandpa. But he was so much older than me that I just couldn’t grasp it.”

Who could blame her? The last thing a young, energetic college athlete has on her mind is contemplating open-heart surgery. But, a combination of family history and a heart murmur since birth meant a diagnosis of heart disease, despite her youth and active lifestyle.

It’s time to set the record straight and start thinking of this as a disease that doesn’t spare woman and children. Your health is non-negotiable; we need to separate fact from fiction so that together, we can stop this killer once and for all.

I hope you learned something from this information. Please share this with your friends and family. It could very well save a life.

My look was chosen today for GO RED FOR WOMEN month. Red to me represents “life”. You already know that I love red dresses and you can go back to a few previous posts and shop some great red dresses. Trending now is the long skirt, so I have 3 trends going on in this outfit…..long tulle skirt, leather top, and leopard shoes. Remember, separated out these pieces can be restyled in so many ways. That is why I love to invest in separates.

……more choices for my look……