A Woman’s Heart— It's time to take charge

Don’t wait until a crisis strikes; heart disease is largely preventable!

As a health professional, Fran Derhammer, R.N., was ahead of most women in her knowledge of heart disease. But the 54-year-old community outreach manager at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network didn’t really take that knowledge “to heart” until recently.

“Because of all the heart disease in my family, I got regular screenings and tried to lead a healthy life,” she says. Two years ago, however, things came to a head - her blood pressure was creeping up, her cholesterol was high, and her periodic dieting and exercising weren’t getting the extra weight off.

Derhammer took charge. She revved up her fitness routine by running with a group to keep her motivated. She enlisted her husband in a new, lighter approach to cooking. And she de-stressed with meditation, more church involvement, and a study of “integrative” (western and eastern) medicine. Reluctantly, she also started blood pressure and cholesterol drugs. “I had to admit you can’t do it all with lifestyle when heart disease is in your genetic makeup,” she says.

Unlike most women, Derhammer paid attention to her heart before a crisis happened. She was able to change her life because she knew these key facts:

Women do have heart attacks—and die of them more often than men. “Two out of 10 women name breast cancer as their biggest health fear, but they’re 10 times more likely to die of heart disease,” says cardiologist Deborah Sundlof, D.O., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “One of the reasons is that they don’t recognize the symptoms and seek treatment promptly. Some women think, ‘It can’t happen to me,’ others are too embarrassed or ‘busy’ to go to the emergency room. The longer they wait, the higher the chance of permanent damage.”

Heart attack symptoms can be different in women. The typical heart attack warning signs for men and women include shortness of breath, chest discomfort and heart palpitations (a strong, rapid heartbeat). Less typical symptoms, including stomach or abdominal pain; nausea or dizziness without chest pain; shortness of breath and difficulty breathing without chest pain; weakness and fatigue; and palpitations or a cold sweat, can be experienced in men and women but are more likely seen in women.

You’re not exempt just because you’re young. It’s true that before menopause, estrogen may protect women against early heart disease, says Sundlof. “But it doesn’t eliminate your risk. You lose estrogen’s protective effect if you have uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure, obesity, a family history of heart disease, or if you smoke even a couple of cigarettes a day.”

Heart disease is largely preventable. While some heart disease risks, like family history, are beyond your control, lifestyle clearly plays a major role. If you exercise regularly, eat a heart-healthy diet, avoid smoking, and keep your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure under control, you’ll reduce your risk significantly.

That’s exactly what Fran Derhammer and others like her are doing—and it hasn’t been easy. “Until recently, there’s been a real lack of awareness about women and heart disease, not only in the public but within the medical field,” Derhammer says. “That’s changing now, but I still urge all women to be their own advocate. Be aggressive in tackling your risk factors and getting treatment. You owe it to your family and to yourself.”

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