Central Arkansas Cardiology

Heart Disease in Women

Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women, claiming nearly 500,000 lives each year, half of which result from coronary artery disease. At times, the medical community in the past has overlooked this critical women's health issue, however, we at Central Arkansas Cardiology recognize this important issue and are taking steps to provide the most advanced cardiac care for women. Diagnosis and treatment of women with cardiovascular disease has been advancing rapidly. Up until recently, coronary artery disease in men and women were felt to be very similar. This is not the case. There are many major and some subtle differences in how coronary artery disease may develop and present in women when compared with men. Diagnostic tests perform differently as do some of the therapies. Men and women share some common risk factors for coronary artery disease, but certain risk factors, such as a low HDL cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and age have a greater impact on the incidence of heart disease in women. Symptoms often can be different between men and women. A woman may have fairly subtle and atypical symptoms as early signs of heart disease. Initial results from large studies suggest that a woman's hormonal status also largely affects the incidence of heart disease in women.

In addition, women may require different diagnostic approaches for detection of heart disease. EKG and stress testing may not be appropriate for women due to their different physiologic reactions to exercise. It is important to have available multiple types of diagnostic tests to choose the appropriate one for each unique patient.

Doctors need to consider these differences when diagnosing female heart patients in order to select the most appropriate tests and accurately interpret the results. Central Arkansas Cardiology, we are experts in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in women and provide state-of-the-art technology in nuclear perfusion imaging, echocardiography, and arrhythmia detection. We have also been instrumental in educating both the medical community and the lay public about the differences in a woman's heart. See this American Heart Association site and www.womenheart.org for further information.