A few months ago, one of our participants in my marathon/half marathon training program was having a lot of trouble breathing during a long run and nearly passed out. We had all been concerned about how thin she is and how she always seemed to have trouble running. She ended up having heart surgery to remove a blockage and, astonishingly, returned to finish the program and still plans to run the upcoming marathon with us.

Heard an interesting point today that came from a book called “The Fattening of America” where the author states that business and policymakers need to re-examine the role they play in America’s obesity epidemic.

Leaders, according to the book’s Web site, need to do exactly the opposite of where the economy is taking us. They need to make it cheaper and easier to be thin—not fat.

At my next appointment I’ll ask my doctor the following heart health questions. If I’m experiencing heart related symptoms, I’ll see a doctor immediately.

MY SYMPTOMS:

The symptoms I'm experiencing include ...

Where on my body?

When?

For how long?

What are the symptoms of heart disease in women and how do they differ from men?

Tell me about heart disease in women. What are the implications of this disease for me in my life time”?

MY STRESS:

Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women author: Nieca Goldberg asin: 0345440994 binding: Paperback list price: $15.95 USD amazon price: $15.95

"Heart disease is a woman's greatest health threat," writes cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, M.D. Until recently, heart research was done on men, and women were considered "small men." But women are quite different from men in physiology and patterns, and require a targeted approach. Goldberg's mission is to help women prevent or manage heart disease by understanding their unique symptoms, risk factors, prevention options, medical treatments, lifestyle choices, hormones, supplements, and recovery methods.

Women Are Not Small Men is organized clearly.

Dr. Leon Speroff recently stepped down as director for the Women's Health Research Unit at Oregon Health & Science University. EmpowHer: How does hormone replacement therapy affect breast cancer and heart disease?

By Ed Edelson
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The gains made against coronary death rates in recent decades are starting to slip away for middle-aged Americans, public health officials report.

Overall, the picture looks rosy, said a report that used U.S. vital statistics data between 1980 and 2002 for all people aged 35 and older. The death rate from coronary disease fell by 52 percent in men and 49 percent in women.

By Ed Edelson
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A new study shows that lowered income actually has an inflammatory effect on the body, which may explain why people of lower socioeconomic status are at higher risk of heart disease, researchers report.

The link between higher levels of inflammatory molecules in the blood and lower income is weight gain, spurred by poor diet and lack of exercise, the study suggests.

Chronic work stress causes biological changes that increase the risk of heart disease, say the authors of a 12-year study of more than 10,000 British civil servants.

The study found that male and female workers younger than 50 who said they had stressful jobs were nearly 70 percent more likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD) than stress-free colleagues, BBC News reported. The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.

"It is frustrating. Many doctors do not see heart disease as a woman's disease. They don't look for it or treat it aggressively," said Dr. Holly Andersen at New York Presbyterian Hospital.