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Heart Disease: What Should Women Know?

By EmpowHER
 
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Dr. Kahlon describes the symptoms and risk factors all women should know about heart disease. Dr. Kahlon is the Chief of the Cardiovascular Department at Banner Desert Medical Center and the Cath Lab Director at Banner Heart Hospital in Mesa, Arizona.

Dr. Kahlon:
Every woman should know these things about heart disease, which are some salient points which are very unique to women as opposed to men. If they develop any symptoms of discomfort in their chest, when we say a word ‘chest’ it is just not focused to the chest area. It’s a surrogate name for any pain that starts from the chin all the way up to belly button, can extend up to the arm, right or left, and if any of these symptoms occur with activity and they get better with resting and they are reproducible in same fashion, every time they do something it brings it on and they rest, the symptoms go away, that is a very, very strong marker to worry about heart disease.

So this may be very different in what they think of the heart disease as heart disease has to be crushing chest pain; it’s very rarely the case that it is a crushing chest pain and usually when you are having crushing chest pain it is usually too late because you are having a heart attack.

So initial marker of symptoms is that you get some sort of discomfort or a ‘funny feeling’ in your chest, which may happen more with activity and will get better with rest, and will be reproducible in the same fashion. Women also have an emotional subset of that, that they have symptoms which come with emotional stress. So, ynlike men where symptoms are usually exertional but women also have this different facet of their symptoms that whenever they are upset they get those symptoms which are hard to distinguish from an anxiety attack.

So when you are having these symptoms which are brought on by emotional distress and keep recurring, it need to be evaluated and looked for coronary disease, especially if they are older than 50 in age.

It’s also important for women to know that family history is the most important determinant of heart disease. If they have a male or female member who developed heart disease at a young age then they are likely to get heart disease even if they are not a smoker or even if they are not obese, their risk is higher than general population so they have to be more careful about any exertional or emotional stress-related symptoms.

About Dr. Jaskamal Kahlon, M.D.:
Dr. Jaskamal Kahlon is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases, Echocardiography, Interventional Cardiology and Internal Medicine. He completed his Fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency at the St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Emory University and his Residency in Cardiology.

Keywords:
Conditions: Heart Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, Valvular Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiomyopathy, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Heart Attack

Related Terms: Artherosclerotic Stenosis, Arrhythmia, Red Rice Yeast, Statin Therapy, Hypertension, Hip to Waist Ration, Arterial Blockage, Plaque, Blod Clot,
Chest Tightness, Shortness of Breath, Stent, EKG, Heart Bypass Surgery

Expert: Dr. Jaskamal P. S. Kahlon, Jaskamal P S Kahlon, M.D., Heart Expert Dr. Kahlon, Cardiologist, Internist

Expertise: Peripheral Artery Disease, Heart Disease Risks, Heart Disease Management, Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome, Heart Disease Prevention, Blood Pressure Testing, Cholesterol Testing, Robotic Catheter Ablation, Coronary Artery Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Echocardiography, Arrhythmia

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