Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet less than half of women consider heart disease a health threat. We’re here to change that statistic and help every woman understand what’s at stake, starting with the basics.
Heart disease is a general term that includes several conditions that affect the heart. Dr. Fahmi Farah and our team at Bentley Heart in Fort Worth, Texas, walk through four of the most common types of heart disease and give some critical insight into women’s unique heart health needs.
CAD is a condition that develops when a buildup of plaque causes a narrowing or blockage in the main arteries of your heart. As a result, your heart can’t get enough blood, and your chances of a heart attack increase.
Arrhythmia is a general term for an irregular heartbeat. Your heart may beat too fast (tachycardia) or slow (bradycardia). Types of tachycardia include atrial fibrillation (AFib) and atrial flutter; sick sinus syndrome and conduction block are types of bradycardia.
You may also have premature or extra heartbeats, though they’re rarely a sign of a serious condition. If you have arrhythmia, you’re more at risk for blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death.
Valvular heart disease is a group of cardiovascular conditions that develop when a valve in your heart is damaged or disease. Your heart has four valves (aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid) that regulate blood flow coming in and out.
Without healthy valves, you’re more likely to experience heart failure, blood clots, and stroke.
You have heart failure when your heart can’t pump blood well enough to meet your body’s demands. Your heart still works, but blood builds up in other body parts over time. Heart failure is a long-term condition that gradually worsens.
Yes, heart disease is a serious health issue for all people, regardless of demographic. However, heart disease affects women differently. And because heart disease presents itself differently, women don’t always know what to look for or are unable to recognize their symptoms as a serious problem.
For instance, the most common heart attack symptom — some type of chest pain that lasts for a few minutes or comes and goes — is the same for women and men. But chest pain isn’t always severe or even the most noticeable symptom, especially in women.
Women who have had a heart attack often describe their symptoms as pressure or tightness. In fact, many women have heart attack symptoms completely unrelated to chest pain, such as:
These symptoms can be vague and not as noticeable as the crushing chest pain you likely associate with heart attacks.
Researchers aren’t quite sure what causes this disparity, but some believe it’s because women tend to have blockages not only in the main arteries but in the smaller ones. Women also have certain risk factors that increase their chance of developing heart diseases, such as emotional stress and depression, pregnancy complications, and menopause.
Since your chances of having a severe undetected heart problem are higher, we strongly encourage our female patients to be tuned into their health, have regular heart health screenings, live a heart-healthy lifestyle, and see us at the first sign of any noticeable change.
Whether you know you have heart disease or are concerned about your risk, the best thing you can do is get regular heart health screenings. Dr. Farah specializes in women’s heart health and offers a wide range of heart disease evaluations, including:
We use the results from your tests to drive your treatment and management plans. Depending on your needs, we may recommend lifestyle changes, medications, and/or surgery.
When you’re ready to take action on your heart health, Dr. Farah and our team will guide you through the next steps. Call our friendly staff at 817-720-5185 or use our online booking tool to schedule a consultation today.