Thursday, January 15, 2015

7 Ways to Prevent Angina

Angina prevention tip #1: Be proactive about heart health.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, yet only slightly more than half of women – 56% – know that, according to a 2012 AHA survey.

If you had problems during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, beware. They increase the risk of heart disease, reports a 2012 study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Because pregnancy acts like a stress test, it can reveal underlying, preexisting factors before they're clinically detected. In fact, a history of preeclampsia doubles the risk of heart attack, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Don't delay seeing your doctor.

Women are 150% more likely than men to put off being diagnosed. They wait for symptoms to become more severe and more frequent before seeking medical attention, a 2014 Canadian study found.

"Women tend to be caregivers to their spouse, children and house, and leave [self-care] for last," Dr. Mehta explains.

AHA researchers aren't sure if that's the reason, but when they asked women how they'd respond if they thought they were having heart attack symptoms, only 65% said that they would call 911. Yet 81% said they would call if they thought someone else was experiencing the same symptoms.

If you experience chest pain that lasts 15 minutes or more and doesn't go away after you take an antacid, see your physician, Dr. Varkey urges.

"It's difficult to tell for sure that it's not heart disease. Don't wait. Get evaluated," she counsels.