One in four women will get heart disease in the US. Heart disease is increasing in women ages 35
to 55 years old. Before menopause one in
seven women will have a heart attack.
After menopause one in three women will have a heart attack. Only twenty
four percent of the heart disease studies are focused on women. According to
prominent cardiologists Reynolds and Walsh, cardiology assessment in women
shows an inequality in research, an inequality in diagnosis and an inequality
in treatment.
Signs and symptoms of heart disease are very different for
women. This is why so many women get
misdiagnosed when it comes to heart disease. In fact, many women do not have
chest pain with a heart disease. The
most common symptoms of heart disease in women are fatigue, depression and
insomnia. These same symptoms can also
be related to menopause, anemia, thyroid issues, other hormonal issues
etc. Therefore, when treating women and
heart disease one should look at the broader picture.
Symptoms related to heart disease include fatigue,
restlessness, insomnia, anxiety, mood issues, weakness, fainting, persistent
barking cough, an abrupt change in how they feel, atypical pain, discomfort,
pressure, heaviness, burning, tightness, fullness in the chest, discomfort in left
or right arm, upper back, shoulder, neck, throat, jaw or stomach or bluish
color or numbness of the lips. Forty
percent of the women have no chest pain at all.
One month before a heart attack symptoms one can have
include unusual fatigue, sleep disturbance, shortness of breath, indigestion,
anxiety, heart racing and arms feeling weak and heavy. As women we need to take control of our
health by not ignoring our symptoms. If your doctor states that it is all in
your head, go to another doctor. As a
naturopathic doctor I look at the boarder picture related to one’s symptoms
since these symptoms can be related to so many diseases. Heart disease is preventable through diet,
lifestyle changes and stress reduction. Catching
and treating your symptoms early can prevent a major heart attack.
Is cholesterol directly related to heart disease? No, according
to systematic research review by Ravnskov, Diamond, and Hama, cholesterol is
not directly related to heart disease. Many
people with high cholesterol have no other signs of heart disease. Statins are commonly used to lower
cholesterol. In fact, lowering cholesterol
with statins can increase a women’s risk for cancer, hormone deficiency and
dementia. The British Medical Journal
stated that women taking statins for more than 10 years had a 83% increase risk
of invasive ductal breast carcinoma and a 97% increase in invasive lobular
breast carcinoma. Statins have also been linked to depression, muscle pain and
dementia in women. We need cholesterol to make our hormones. As cholesterol decreases our body is also
unable to make hormones such as progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. Statins also can be a reason many people are
on hormone replacement because lowering cholesterol with statins depletes
hormones. Statins are the number one selling drugs. Lowering cholesterol does not reduce a women’s risk for heart disease,
and for this reason statins show no benefit for women and heart disease. If your cholesterol is high you need to go to
a doctor who can assess your diet, lifestyle and stress levels. It is about us taking responsibility for our
own health.
Also, aspirin is no longer recommend as a preventive therapy
to prevent heart attacks. I have not recommended aspirin for the past twenty
years because of the risk of bleeding issues and tinnitus related to aspirin. I do not recommend taking any aspirin or
NSAIDS such as Aleve, Ipuphron, Tylenol.
Taking NSAIDS for two weeks can increase your risk for a stroke and a
heart attack by fifty percent. Just
because a medication is over the counter does not mean that it is safe. All
medications have side effects.
Bio-identical hormones do not prevent heart disease. Heart disease rates are still increasing in
women even though they are taking bio-identical hormones. Depression and
fatigue are directly related to low serotonin levels which is related to heart
disease in women. So do not ignore your symptoms. If you do not feel well, you need to go to
your doctor.
Again, the symptoms of heart disease in women are insomnia,
fatigue and depression. If you have any
of these symptoms see a doctor for an evaluation to get to the cause of your
health issue. Lowering cholesterol increases
one’s risk of breast cancer and increases one’s risk for dementia. We need cholesterol to make our
hormones. As cholesterol decreases your
body is also unable to make hormones has as estradiol, progesterone and
testosterone. Heart disease is
preventable through diet, lifestyle changes and stress reduction. As women we
need to take charge of our health.
Dr Deborah Wiancek is a naturopathic doctor at the Riverwalk
Natural Health Clinic & Pharmacy for the past twenty-two years. She has a family practice focusing on the
cause of one’s health issue rather than just treating the symptoms. For any
questions or an appointment at 970-926-7606 or wiancek@healthref.com.
