Medical providers today are seeing more cases of heart disease, especially as members of the baby boomer generation age, says Dawn Vernon, an advanced-practice nurse with Rockford (Ill.) Cardiovascular Associates. Women's symptoms of heart disease differ from men's symptoms. Men experience more chest pain and chest pressure, and women tend to experience shortness of breath and changes in their activity levels. "We have women come to us saying they can make all of the beds in the house and carry laundry up and down the stairs but now, they can only make one bed before needing to sit down and take a break," Vernon said. "If it's not a one-time thing, but a recurrent thing, that's a sign."
Women are typically diagnosed with heart disease in their 50s and 60s, but doctors are finding heart disease in some younger patients today. Vernon said women are protected from coronary disease in part thanks to estrogen, but once they hit menopause, cholesterol levels, weight, and blood pressure levels can all start increasing. Cholesterol is one risk factor for heart disease, as are age and family history. Smoking and diabetes also increase a person's risk. With heart disease, "once you have it, you have it," Vernon noted. But patients can manage the disease and control their risk factors and progression.
Vernon encourages women to make regular visits to their family physicians and have their blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly. Frequent exercise and maintaining a balanced diet also are important for weight control and the prevention of heart disease and diabetes. "There are things like gender and family history we can't change, so we need to focus on what we can change," Vernon said. "If you smoke, don't. Reduce your stress, get enough sleep, and exercise."