When you think of heart disease, do you picture a middle-aged man clutching his chest in pain? What if a woman complained of a backache, persistent indigestion or tightness around her bra? Would you recognize these as symptoms of a heart attack?
Heart disease has been called a “silent epidemic” among women. And, although it is the number one cause of sudden death in women, its signs and symptoms are often overlooked.

Since 1984, the number of deaths attributed to heart disease in women has surpassed the number of deaths among men. And, women are twice as likely to die as a result of their first heart attack than are men.

Cardiologist Stacy Fisher, M.D., said heart disease in women may go unnoticed because the symptoms they experience are atypical. Fisher, along with Barbara Kircher, M.D., directs the Women’s Heart Program for LifeBridge Health.

The risk factors that cause heart disease—tobacco and alcohol use, excess weight, high blood pressure, too much “bad” cholesterol and not enough “good,” and family history—are the same for women as they are for men, Fisher said.

“The goal of the Women’s Heart Program is to educate women and their families to the fact that heart disease, not breast cancer, is the leading cause of death among women,” Fisher said. She advises everyone to discuss their cardiac risk with their doctor.

The Women’s Heart Program screenings, designed for women 40 years old or older, or for any woman with a family history of heart disease, identify cardiovascular risk factors as well as potential health issues that could affect overall heart health. A heart risk assessment, cholesterol testing, blood pressure, height/ weight and body fat analysis are also conducted. Fisher and Kircher are available to review results of the screenings, answer questions and offer recommendations for follow-up tests if necessary.

These heart risk assessments for women are just one of the many free and low-cost health screenings available through LifeBridge Health’s Community Health Education department. For more information on upcoming screenings in your area, call 410-601-WELL (9355), or visit the Online Community Calendar ™

Related Links

Women’s Heart Program for LifeBridge Health

Online Community Calendar ™