Go Red For Women
The American Heart Association has promoted the initiative
"Go Red For Women"
to highlight the prevalence of heart disease in women
Heart disease the #1cause of of death in women
Heart disease is responsible for deaths of 1 in 3 women
Heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined other
Every 39 seconds another U.S. woman dies of heart disease
(Getting in the spirit of educating their patients about heart disease prevention, Dr. Rosenkilde and his dedicated, long-time staff, from top, clockwise: Betty, Katie and Dottie.)
Prevention: Love Your Heart
- Control your blood pressure
- Control your cholesterol
- Exercise most days
- East right: 5/day: fruits and vegetables
- Limit Alcohol (1glass/day for women, 2 for men)
- Prevent Diabetes
- Don't Smoke, Quit if you do! (nyssmokefree.com)
- If you need a cardiologist, make appointment at Westchester Health, 914 232 1919, http://www.westchesterhealth.com/cardiology
About Heart Disease & Stroke
If you or someone you know shows signs of heart attack or stroke, call 911 right away.
An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team can begin treatment when it arrives. That means treatment can begin sooner than it would if the patient arrived at the hospital by car. What's more, the EMS team is also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped, which saves hundreds of lives each year.
If you have symptoms and you can't access EMS, ask someone to drive you to the hospital immediately. Don't drive yourself, unless there's just no other option.
What Is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Most heart and blood vessel problems develop over time and occur when your arteries develop atherosclerosis, a process that begins in childhood and involves a gradual buildup of plaque inside your arteries.
Plaque contains fat, cholesterol and other substances, and can grow large enough to significantly reduce blood flow through an artery. Most of the damage occurs when a plaque becomes fragile and ruptures.
Plaques that rupture can cause blood clots to form. These clots can block blood flow at the site of the rupture or can break off and travel through the artery to another part of the body. If either happens and blocks an artery that feeds the heart or brain, it causes a heart attack or stroke.
What Is Stroke?
Stroke, the #3 killer of women, is a type of vascular disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain.
(For more info, see my entry on stroke on this website.) A stroke occurs when an artery that carries blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain either bursts or is blocked by a clot. When that happens, part of the brain can't get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die.
When part of the brain dies from lack of blood flow, the part of the body it controls is affected. Strokes can cause paralysis, affect language and vision, and cause other problems.
Seeking early treatment can minimize the potentially devastating effects of stroke, but to receive them, a person must recognize the warning signs and act quickly.
Get to the E.R. Getting to the emergency room within a few hours of stroke can save your life, and minimize the morbidity. Don't drive yourself, call 911.
Drs. Rosenkilde and Caporaso take care of patients at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt Kisco. NWH is designated as a Stroke Center by the New York State Health Department, which requires meeting stringent guidelines and maintaining clinical standards that are reviewed annually by the Department of Health: nwhc.net.
NWH has just renovated the emergency room to be much larger, more comfortable and patient-centric, with a "no-waiting approach."
Heart Attack
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, causing someone to gasp dramatically, clutch her heart and drop to the ground. No one has any doubts about what's happening.
Most heart attacks in women start subtly. In women most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often the people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help.
Signs of Possible Heart Attack:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath. This feeling may occur with or without chest discomfort.
- Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- Chest pain. As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
If you or someone you are with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer than five minutes before calling 911.
