It's no secret, there are a lot of differences between men and women. And it's no different when it comes to your heart health.
Bettye Blaize doesn't mess around when it comes to her heart. She’ll never forget the pain she felt nearly 8 years ago. She says, "I actually felt as if I were having a heart attack. It was like pressure on my chest. Shortness of breath and not able to get around."
Bettye had clogged arteries and ended up having 2 triple bypasses. But getting the right diagnosis took awhile. Doctors told her she was having anxiety attacks. "I heard anxiety attacks so many times I just wanted to scream."
She finally got the right answer when she saw Dr. Jerald Insel, chief cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital. He says what happened to Bettye is common. Many women with heart disease aren't getting diagnosed early enough. Dr. Insel says, "Women have much more atypical symptoms. Fatigue, I feel tired, I feel weak, I just don't feel right."
Bailey St. Claire had a heart attack 10 years ago, but didn't even know it because he didn't have any symptoms. He says, "I never had any pain down the arms. I never had anything in the neck and i never had any profuse sweating." But doctors diagnosed him right away with several routine tests.
The problem is, those same tests aren't always accurate on women. Dr Insel says, “So for example if you do the routine EKG, you take a man sitting standing lying, hanging on the ceiling. You'll have the same exact EKG. But women they have much more variability in terms of EKG. So number 1, the EKG is much less accurate."
And contrary to what many people think, women are just as likely to have heart disease as men. Dr. Insel says, "In general, we tend to think of men as having a higher risk for coronary artery disease and it is certainly is true when a man is in their 30s or 40s. But as we age, especially past menopause, women are actually at a higher risk than men."
Despite the differences, there is one thing men and women can do to prevent heart disease. Stick with a good diet and exercise.
If you'd like to learn more about heart health and Medstar Physician Partners, call 1-877-MPP-DOCS.
