Barnes-Jewish Cardiologist Discusses Women''s Symptoms and Risk Factors

January 10, 2008, ST. LOUIS – Despite significant progress educating women about their risk of heart disease, doctors say too many women still fail to connect risk factors and their personal risk of developing heart disease.

"Despite the fact a woman is twenty times more likely to die from her heart than she is of her breast, diseases like cancer – especially breast cancer – have gotten much more attention," says Lynne Seacord, MD, Washington University cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "I think it''s changing, especially over the last few years."

Awareness from programs like the Heart Association''s "Go Red For Women" campaign have educated women a great deal about not only their risk of heart disease, but potential symptoms.

While chest pain is the most common symptom of heart problems in both men and women, doctors say other symptoms present mainly in women. Symptoms like heartburn, fatigue or nausea. However, Dr. Seacord says it''s an overall disregarding of symptoms that concerns her.

"I''m not ever sure that women have different symptoms as much as it is that women are less likely to think it''s their heart," says Dr. Seacord. "Still, clearly the literature would support that they''re a different spectrum of symptoms."

As for risk factors, Dr. Seacord says there are several women need to be aware of:

• A family history of premature coronary disease – a female relative under the age of 50, male under the age of 60.

• Hypertension, which Dr. Seacord says or not affects half of women under the age of 40.

• Diabetes, a tremendous risk factor of coronary disease "and approximately 70 percent of diabetics will eventually die of heart disease," says Dr. Seacord.

• Hyperlipidemia, which is often undertreated in women. "Many women still receive fewer cholesterol screenings and adequate medications for cholesterol,'' she says.

• Cigarette smoking. Smoking has been estimated to account for half of the heart attacks in women under the age of 40.

In addition, she advises women live a more active lifestyle through exercise and get regular checkups with their physician.

Overall, Dr. Seacord says she has seen a rise in awareness over the past couple of years.

"I see a lot of women now who are thinking about their hearts, either in their fifties when they start getting symptoms they don''t understand, or even earlier in their thirties when they know they have risk factors and they want to modify them for a lifetime basically," says Dr. Seacord.

For more information about women and heart disease call 314-TOP-DOCS (867-3627).