Get the 411 on Womens Heart Health

• Heart disease is the number one killer of women, more than all forms of cancer combined
• Heart disease causes one in three women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one
  woman every minute
• Only one in five American women believes heart disease is her greatest health risk
• St. Luke’s University Health Network has the one and only dedicated Women’s Heart Center in the region

St. Luke’s Women’s Heart Center provides cardiac care by two of the region’s most distinguished cardiologists – Lynn N. Moran, DO and Dwithiya Thomas, MD. Dedicated to the unique needs of women, the Women’s Heart Center is dedicated to specifically serve women who have heart disease, are at risk for heart disease or want guidance for its prevention.

Know Your Risk

Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease. Between the ages of 45 and 64, one in nine women develops cardiovascular disease. While the traditional risk factors are the same for men and women – family history of early heart disease, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, sedentary life style – additional risk factors for women include:

• Past complications in pregnancy
  • Preeclampsia
  • Eclampsia
• Auto-immune disorders
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Lupus
• Menopause before age 45
• Migraines with aura

Know the symptoms

Women often do not recognize they are experiencing a major cardiac event. Only 60 percent of women suffering a heart attack experience chest pain. Other common symptoms include:

• Chest pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Light-headedness
• Indigestion, nausea or vomiting
• Pain in arms, neck, jaw or stomach
• Overwhelming fatigue
• Cold sweats, squeezing, or discomfort

If you are having symptoms, call 911, take an aspirin to prevent further blood clotting, and demand that the emergency room staff take your complaints seriously.