by RYAN MILEJCZAK
Sponsored by Central Florida Health Care
Heart attacks are commonly known as the “silent killer.” The factors that cause them can brew unnoticed for years before an attack finally strikes. And many people don’t know that for women, the signs of a heart attack can be completely different than in men.
“We know that women don’t always present the same way as men when having a heart attack,” explains Dr. Andrew Hein, Chief Clinical Informatics Officer and Assistant Chief Medical Officer with Central Florida Health Care.
Ultimately, a heart attack refers to the heart stopping or having a lack of pump function due to some underlying issue with the heart. In men, the symptoms that arise when one occurs are well known.
“Usually, you’ll feel ‘an elephant on the chest,’” says Dr. Hein. “Instead of a localized pain, you’ll feel a very painful heaviness and squeezing tightness across the entire chest, as well as shortness of breath.”
Other common symptoms include an irregular heartbeat and radiation of the pain across the left arm or jaw.
But for women, Dr. Hein says, it’s often a different story.
“A lot of times, women may have more atypical pain,” he explains. “They can experience something like a pain in the abdomen, and this may be the only presenting sign of a heart attack. In other cases, it’s more just fatigue, not really a specific symptom at all.”
Regardless of gender, the cause of heart attacks remains the same: an unhealthy heart.
“When it comes to coronary artery disease, it’s about the buildup of plaque in the walls of the arteries of the heart, and the hardening of those arteries,” Dr. Hein explains.
Your heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, it needs blood to do its job. Much like inadequate blood flow can cause cramping when you exercise, the heart can also fail when it doesn’t get the blood flow it needs.
Several factors can contribute to your risk of heart attacks and heart disease.
“The number one factor is cholesterol,” says Dr. Hein. “Specifically, ‘bad cholesterol,’ or LDL. Diabetes, smoking, and high blood pressure are also common risk factors.”
While you may not show any obvious symptoms you’re at risk for a heart attack, there are warning signs to look for.
“Some people may feel chest pain with physical exertion,” Dr. Hein says. “Sometimes, just exercise intolerance can be a sign. If you’re middle aged and can’t walk a block without getting short of breath, that’s a bad sign.”
In those who have had heart disease for an extended time, fluid accumulation can also occur, leading to swelling of the legs or fluid in the lungs. But Dr. Hein cautions that you may not always know that damage to your heart is occurring; making prevention key.
“A lot of times, we don’t necessarily feel this damage in any way, which is why we like to try to prevent it from ever occurring,” he says.
One of the key ways to do this is with healthy habits.
“Our diet affects our blood pressure and cholesterol, and the American Heart Association has really good guidance on how to limit things which cause plaque buildup,” Dr. Hein explains.
This means limiting saturated fat (less than 20g a day) and refined, processed foods that are high in sugar. For those with diabetes or pre-existing high blood pressure, it’s also important to keep these under control. But perhaps most important of all is seeing your healthcare provider regularly.
“Probalby the most important thing is getting checked,” says Dr. Hein. “Since you may not have symptoms, you might not know if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol. And there are also genetic factors, such as types of familial hypercholesterolemia, that increase your risk of heart attacks, but you won’t know you have them until you get checked.”