An important heart health lesson for women

An important heart health lesson for women

Did you know heart disease kills more women over age 35 worldwide every year than all cancers combined?

For Manitoba women it is the leading cause of death.

On April 7, I attended a one-hour talk and question period titled For Her Heart’s Sake given by a team from Victoria General Hospital and the hospital’s Foundation.

The session was hosted by Bernice Stebbing. She contacted the hospital, invited people, and arranged to have the presentation in the community classroom at the new Sobeys Extra store in Fort Richmond.

Stebbing had heard the talk at another venue and thought others should, too. I agree with her. I think this information is a must for every woman regardless of age.

For Her Heart’s Sake is a gender-specific program with three aims — to build a cardiac care program for women; to do new, life-saving research; to create an awareness and education campaign.

Victoria General Hospital Foundation is in the midst of raising $1 million "for this urgent initiative that will save lives of women right here, right now in our community." To date it has reached just over half of this goal.

Emphasized in the presentation were the following points — women’s heart attack symptoms are likely to be different than those experienced by men; we have more "silent attacks"; we often think our symptoms indicate a less serious condition such as the flu or indigestion. Under age 50, we are more likely to die from an attack than men. We have a higher chance of dying within one year of a heart attack than men.

I learned that up to 54 per cent of heart attacks in women go unrecognized. It would seem the medical profession needs to learn more about this gender issue.

Also noted in the talk were symptoms that women experienced one month before a heart attack. They are listed here from most to least — unusual fatigue; sleep disturbance; shortness of breath; indigestion; anxiety; heart racing; and weak or heavy arms."

We also were given the symptoms of an immediate heart attack. Women should "know the five and stay alive."

Women should also know the numbers for their blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, body mass index, and waist size and what are the suggested target numbers are.

As well, exercise and a "best foods" diet are very important.

Whew!

Women really have to be knowledgeable and their own advocates on this critical health issue.
If you want to arrange a presentation, contact the Victoria General Hospital Foundation at 204-477-3513. It’s worth an hour of your time.

You can also check out ForHerHeartsSake.ca, a website set to be up and running by the end of April.

Jeannette Timmerman is a community correspondent for Richmond West.

Read more by Jeannette Timmerman - Community Correspondent.
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