Center for Gynecology & Women's Health
Heart disease remains, by far, the number one killer of women, and it also causes vast amounts of disability and loss of quality of life
among them. Cardiovascular conditions kill many times more women than breast cancer and other diseases that are often more closely associated
with women's health. And yet, many women are not aware of the risks that heart disease poses, may even still regard it as a man's disease (though
more women die of heart attacks each year than men), and may not be well informed generally about heart function, heart health, and cardiac care.
Compared with men, women are:
- more likely to die within the first year after a heart attack;
- more likely to experience another heart attack or be disabled with heart failure within six years of a first heart attack;
- and less likely to receive the proper and needed drug therapy - as well surgical or interventional care - for a heart condition.
Women are also under-represented in heart-related research studies. These and many other heart-health facts have been the
subject of national awareness campaigns aimed at women. That's because women often fail to take seriously enough their own risk of heart disease and the connection between their
personal heart health and certain variables that they may already understand, such as their blood pressure or cholesterol
levels. Surveys show that most women, in fact, do not even know their test results in these areas. Furthermore, women may be less likely to have warning signs prior to a heart attack, and they and their doctors often fail
to recognize these signs.
Good quality prevention and care for cardiovascular disease is much the same for men and women, and yet knowledge is increasing
about certain differences in women's hearts and their vulnerabilities. Experts believe that in women, for example, the cardiac affects of such risk factors as alcohol use, triglyceride levels , response to stress , and other factors are different than in men. In addition, age (in particular, whether a woman is pre- or postmenopause) is an especially important aspect of a woman's
risk assessment for heart problems. Of course, use of hormone therapy in women also has heart-health implications.
Furthermore, women need to know about the affects on heart health of such lifestyle factors as weight, and be familiar with
how to establish such objectives as target heart rate. A healthier lifestyle can decrease a women's chance of developing heart disease.
Our staff can help you to identify any risk factors you might have for heart disease and make appropriate referrals for a
full screening for heart conditions, for recommendations on steps you need to take to safeguard heart health, and for treatment
for existing conditions. Working closely, as needed, with Frankford's expanding and respected Heart Center , our women's center can help assure that you have access to the full range of cardiovascular testing , drug treatment, minimally invasive interventional care, surgery, and cardiac rehabilitation.
Symptoms that signal a heart condition in a woman can look somewhat different than those in men. For example, chronic fatigue can be an important warning sign in female patients. In addition, the combination of echocardiography and various types of stress testing
is especially important in evaluating women for possible heart conditions.
Our women's center staff can help advise you on, and recommend you for further care for, such possible conditions as stable
and unstable angina, coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart murmur, and heart failure. Frankford cardiac specialists can provide you with any diagnostics or cardiology consultations you may need and can help you
in making decisions about lifestyle interventions and cardiovascular treatments.
There are many ways to work toward improving you heart health, even if you already suffer form a heart condition. Frankford's Heart Center staff can provide you with precise assessment and assist in long-term management of your heart health,
your preventive steps, or your interventions or care regimen, as part of your overall care.
