Matters of the heart

Good heart health is a combination of diet, exercise and knowing your risk factors for heart disease, as well as recognizing the signs of a heart attack. A heart attack often happens without warning — it’s up to us to identify the signals and act in time. In honor of American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day, do your heart a favor: learn the facts about how to keep your and your loved ones’ hearts healthy and strong.

If you’ve never had a heart attack, you may picture it as you’ve seen it depicted in the movies: the sudden, sharp chest pain, staggering and eventual collapse. We sometimes refer to this as the Hollywood Heart Attack. By contrast, the signs of a heart attack are actually much more subtle and are not the same for everyone.

They say men and women are as different as Mars and Venus regarding emotional matters of the heart. These differences may hold true when it comes to heart health, as well. Knowing how to recognize the early symptoms of a possible heart attack can help men and women — and their doctors — prevent it, or intervene in time to minimize the damaging effects on the heart. Early action is crucial in getting the best possible treatment.

Men usually experience what we know as the “classic” signs of a heart attack: heavy squeezing or pain in the chest, discomfort in areas of the left arm or jaw, or shortness of breath.

Women suffering a heart attack may experience these symptoms as well, but not as frequently as men do — and, they often experience other more vague symptoms that people do not generally link to heart trouble: fatigue, sweating, nausea, or sleep disturbances.

Research by the National Institutes of Health indicates that women experience different physical symptoms compared with mean as long as a month or more before experiencing a heart attack. In a 2007 study of more than 500 women, 95 percent of participants reported experiencing new symptoms at least a month before their heart attack, including unusual fatigue, sleep disturbance and shortness of breath. Less than 30 percent of women studied experienced chest pains prior to the attack, and 43 percent had no chest pain during the attack. Other symptoms included indigestion and anxiety. The study was one of the first to examine the differences in the way men and women experience a heart attack.

Knowing the differences is important for many reasons. Women who experienced these non-traditional symptoms did not identify them as having a heart attack and put off seeking medical attention — decreasing their chances for preventing, or surviving, the attack. An undiagnosed heart attack may lead to cardiac arrest, and the American Heart Association estimates that about 95 percent of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital to be treated.

Talk to your doctor today about steps you can take to educate yourself about heart health and any recommended health screenings based on your individual profile. You can also take the online heart risk assessment we’ve created to find out how healthy your heart is. The assessment takes less than 5 minutes and provides you with a printed report you can take to your doctor. Check it out at www.yourheartsage.com/mat-su/.

Remember symptoms may come and go. Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, it’s important to be checked by a doctor or your local Emergency Department. Medications and treatments are available that can stop some heart attacks in progress and save lives — but these treatments must be administered at the earliest possible signs of a heart attack for maximum effectiveness.

During American Heart Month, take care of the ones you love. Knowing the symptoms of a heart attack and how to minimize its effects will help ensure that you and your loved ones are heart-healthy for many a Valentine’s day to come. Also consider reaching out to the American Heart Association or your local doctor to find out where you may learn CPR; you may be able to save the life of a loved one or stranger.

About the Author: Dr. Ellen Gallant is an interventional cardiologist with Mat-Su Heart in Palmer. She is board certified in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology. Dr. Gallant performs interventional cardiology procedures, including angioplasty and stenting to open blocked arteries. She also places permanent pacemakers, reads echocardiograms, performs cardioversions and transesophageal echocardiograms. Dr. Gallant places a strong emphasis on wellness and prevention and helps educate patients on healthy lifestyle choices. Mat-Su Heart is welcoming new patients and is located at 2490 S. Woodworth Loop, in the medical plaza adjacent to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gallant, call 861- 6700.