A study by Kaiser Permanente has found that one in three women will suffer from complications of a weak pelvic floor during her lifetime. Women can develop a weak pelvic floor despite their activity level, hormonal health and even if she has never given birth.
Factors such as obesity, smoking, high caffeine intake, chronic constipation or even sitting at desk all day can contribute to a weakened pelvic floor. Women with pelvic problems may also have hip and lower back problems which can aggravate the issue.
Women can fix the problem by undergoing surgery, which has its own complications, or by being fitted for a pessary, which is a conical-, ring- or square-shaped device that helps support the pelvic organs and reduce the stress of incontinence.
The pelvic muscles can be strengthened through kegel exercises to prevent or delay the potential for these problems if done regularly. Tai chi, yoga and Pilates can also help strengthen the body’s core and pelvic floor.

What complications have you encountered since our last issue?
I let the fact that I could eat a few bites of dessert with no problems lull me into thinking I could eat a whole piece of turtle cheesecake at a friend’s house. I ate the cheesecake and experienced my first instance of ‘dumping.’ I started sweating and got really tired really fast. I slept about 12 hours when I got home. I found out the hard way that sugar is not my friend!

Also I got laid off of work and that got my routine all messed up. You would think I would have all the time in the world to spend at the gym, but I haven’t been out to World’s Gym very much at all since the layoff …  trying to conserve gas and money by staying home. I thought I was going to have to cancel my membership to the gym, but I discussed it with my mom and she’s going to pick up the monthly dues for me until I can find a job. She said she didn’t want me to mess up all my hard work.

For about 6 weeks I hit a weight loss plateau. It was really discouraging. I knew part of the problem was not getting in the exercise, but I still should have lost a little bit. Then I realized that I had introduced sugar back into my diet through drinking sweet ice tea and eating the occasional sweet. So now I’m eliminating the sugar and it seems to have done the trick for restarting my weight loss.

What positives have you enjoyed?
I received a letter from my primary care physician Dr. A.D. Bicak (The Clinic at Commerce Centre in Bentonville), who is working with my surgeon Dr. Clifton Thomas, stating that my diabetes has resolved. Whoo hoo!!!!!

I’m now wearing size 22W pants (they are getting lose) and 18/20W tops. I can’t remember the last time I wore these sizes. I’m having to go shopping. Helping Hands is wonderful for buying clothes as inexpensively as possible during my weight loss. Especially since they will get them back when I get down to the next size.
I’m feeling really good. I was invited to go camping over July 4th holiday at Lake Leatherwood. I never would have gone before because I didn’t enjoy hiking or putting a bathing suit on to swim at the lake. I did both and had a great time even though I did get eaten up by bugs!

Have you set any goals for yourself? If so, what are they?
My immediate goal is to get the pounds burning again by cutting the sugar and getting back to the gym. One thing that helps motivate me in the gym is music. I’m asking folks for suggestions for a new playlist of exercise music for my iPod. If you have any suggestions, feel free to e-mail me at mattiewatson@hotmail.com.

I am also considering entering the U of A’s dietetics program. Now that I’m eating regular food, I find the world of nutrition and the new food pyramid a little confusing. And I’ve found that there aren’t very many dieticians who specialize in bariatrics in this area. I think becoming a dietician will keep me on track and I look forward to helping others like me.

WEIGHT LOSS LOG
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight at start: at heaviest 354 pounds; day before surgery 328 pounds
Weight at April magazine: 267 pounds
Weight now: 244 pounds
Waist at start: 52.75 inches
Waist now: 45.5 inches

By Antoinette Grajeda
People have surgery to change their appearance all the time. They’re not happy with the size or shape of something, but that’s not the reason Mattie Watson of Bella Vista had gastric bypass surgery. She liked herself as she was, but she also loved herself enough to be mindful of her health.
“I’ve always been a big child,” she said. “I was always taller than anybody else in my class or weight-wise bigger than anyone else in my class, so I’ve always been big and it never really bothered me. But then as I got older in high school and in college it just got to be a little out of control.”
On April 5, Mattie celebrated the three-month anniversary of her surgery and the loss of 54 pounds.
Her journey to this new life began a few years ago and was born out of tragedy. Her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the July 4, 2000, weekend. He passed away a little over two weeks later on July 19.
“It happened that fast,” Mattie said.
The loss of her father inspired Mattie to visit the doctor and have everything checked out. When she was diagnosed with diabetes, she began taking medication, but she didn’t change her eating habits.
“After being diagnosed diabetic, I was a little bit more concerned, but not really,” she said.
In 2007, it hit home how problematic her weight could be during a family vacation to Cancun, Mexico.
“There was one thing I wanted to do — I wanted to swim with the dolphins,” she said. “I saved and saved and saved so I could have enough money to do that and I was just miserable.”
Her experience with the dolphins was not enjoyable because Mattie was uncomfortable in a life jacket that didn’t fit properly, she was suffering from leg cramps and her weight pushing down on a metal grate was painful on her feet.
Mattie’s weight had become an issue in her daily life. Walking to and from the mailbox caused her to be out of breath, she couldn’t ride the rides when she took her friends’ children to the county fair and sitting in restaurant booths was uncomfortable.
“I’m so tired of not being able to do the things I want to do because I’m so overweight,” she said.
Mattie had dieted on her own in the past and used diet medication prescribed by doctors, but never quite got the results she wanted.
“I would really try for like three or four months, but I’d hit that 30-pound mark and there’d be nothing else,” she said.
Mattie’s diabetic medication was increased for the first time two years ago and she was also prescribed medication for high cholesterol. It was then that she decided to look at surgery more seriously.
“I said I got to do something; I have to do something now. I mean, I’m only 35 years old,” she said. “I want to be around to be an old woman, to be around my nieces.”
She had tossed the idea of surgery around before, especially after seeing a former co-worker go through the process. The stars seemed to be aligning when Mattie’s work offered a new “awesome” insurance program that would cover the cost of the surgery. In addition to paying for the procedures, the plan paid for Mattie and a companion to fly to the hospital (she had to use one of the plan’s approved doctors and hospitals), stay in a hotel, have transportation and receive a $2,000 recovery check.
To qualify, she also had to have six months of doctor-supervised diet and exercise, as well as a psychological evaluation to let her know the surgery is a tool to help her and not a miracle cure.
Mattie was excited about the procedure, but her mother, a registered nurse, “was not real thrilled.” She is of the “you can do it on your own” mindset, but she was also concerned about the risks that come with surgery, Mattie said.
“She’s your mom; she doesn’t want you to do anything that might could kill you,” Mattie said.
Mattie reassured her mom she would be alright because she didn’t have any other health complications and because she was young. While her mother was scared, Mattie didn’t focus on the possible negative outcomes.
“I just never really was scared about that,” she said. “I always figured that if it was my time to go then it was my time to go no matter what, so I never allowed myself to really think about it.”
The surgery Mattie had was the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The procedure can be done laparoscopically, meaning small incisions were made, explained her surgeon Cliff Thomas. Surgical instruments are passed through tubes in the incisions, as well as a camera that allows surgeons to see the area they’re working on.
“There’s very few failures, but it’s a complex operation,” Thomas said.
Complex operation means complications, and he said those can include bleeding, leakage of intestinal fluid and bowel obstruction.
At 7:30 a.m. Jan. 5, a 328-pound Mattie was wheeled into a surgery that lasted an hour and a half. By 6 p.m. that evening, Mattie was up and walking around to the surprise of the nurses.
Her recovery went smoothly. She felt some tugging from the stitches, but she never had to use her pain-killing drugs. By 3 p.m. the following day, she was discharged from University General Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Since the surgery, Mattie has experienced several changes to her lifestyle. For one, she no longer has to take diabetic medication. She has made alterations to her schedule, including attending a weight-loss support group once a month and exercising much more frequently.
“God bless the iPod,” she enthused. “I’m telling you I would not be able to walk outside as much as I do if I didn’t have my songs to jam to.”
And then, of course, there’s the weight loss. During the first month alone, the weight “came off really fast,” resulting in a loss of nearly 30 pounds. She was nervous about being stuck at the dreaded 30-pound mark, but she has long surpassed that and “it’s really exciting.”
Mattie is becoming thinner, which means finding clothes has been an issue. She has lost 10 jean sizes, and, although her friend Tammy teases her about being a pack rat, Mattie is thankful to have kept the smaller clothes she collected during her previous weight-loss attempts.
“That’s the only saving grace I’ve had,” she said. “I mean, I’ve been pulling out pants and shirts that I haven’t worn in years.”
Before the surgery, Mattie enjoyed watching television and movies, reading and the occasional walk, but now she’s “just in the mood to get out and do stuff” and has much more energy to do so.
Her diet has changed as well. She must take a variety of vitamins every day because her smaller stomach doesn’t absorb all of the necessary nutrition, but she said that’s a much better option than paying for expensive diabetic medications.
Mattie has a book to guide her through the process of incorporating exercise into her daily routine as well as what foods she can eat. For example, she must eat plenty of protein. She’s been instructed to eat three meals a day and said the tough part isn’t eating the proper foods, but simply remembering to eat.
“The eating has been real easy for me because I don’t have that hunger feeling anymore and they say eventually that comes back, but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it didn’t,” she said.
Mattie is excited to see the weight come off and has even set a weight loss goal for herself.
“I’m not going to be greedy,” she said. “I’m not going to try to be like Kate Moss or anything or Cindy Crawford, you know? If I can just get under 200 pounds, 175 pounds, that would rock!”

Writer’s Note: Check back every issue as we follow Mattie’s journey.

Weight Loss Support
The Northwest Arkansas Weight Loss Surgery Support Group meets at 2 p.m. the second Sunday of every month at the Rogers Activity Center. For more information, contact Wyona Yaffe at wyaffe@yahoo.com or call (479) 644-1999.

New condom would allow women to take charge in protection against HIV/AIDS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider approving a second-generation female condom sometime in the next six months.
Dr. David Holtgrave, the chairman of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, found that distributing 16.6 million female condoms in South Africa could prevent 10,000 HIV infections. Female condoms allow women to take the lead in protecting themselves against the infection.
On Dec. 11 the FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended the product in a vote, so it appears likely they will approve the new condom, the FC2.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2005 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, black women in the U.S. suffered from the disease 23 times more often than white women. Seventy-four percent of those infections were caused by high-risk sexual contact, the study found.
The FC2 will be roughly 30 percent cheaper than its predecessors, although it will still be more expensive than male condoms.

New study suggests autistic traits may be linked to high levels of testosterone in the womb
A groundbreaking study published in the British Journal of Psychology found a link between high levels of testosterone in the womb of pregnant women and autistic traits, such as a lack of sociability and verbal skills, in their children.
The study was prompted by statistics that autism is four times more common in boys than in girls. It is also linked with other traits found more often in boys, such as left-handedness.
Over eight years, the study observed and tested 235 children whose mothers had an amniocentesis during pregnancy. The procedure involves drawing fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb using a fine needle. The procedure is offered to women over ages 35 or 37 to test for Down syndrome. The age and circumstances of the women tested was taken into account.
Not all of the children are autistic, but many have traits that are more pronounced, often described as consequences of an extreme male brain. Autistic children do not empathize easily with other people, cannot guess what others are thinking or feeling, have a stronger drive toward analysis and constructing systems, and have a great ability to focus on something that absorbs them.
The researchers plan to continue studying the children they have been following and will now look for a link between high levels of testosterone in the womb and children who have been diagnosed with autism by studying banks of amniotic fluid that have been collected since 1990 in Denmark.
This research opens the way for screening pregnant women, which could potentially use amniocentesis to draw fluid from the womb and measure testosterone levels.
More than half a million people are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, including Asperger’s syndrome, in Britain. A study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention found that about 1 in 150 children in the United States has autism. Autism is not usually diagnosed until the child is 3 to 4 years old.
Autism runs in families, but environmental factors can play a part. It is a complex developmental disability involving a biological abnormality in the functioning of the brain. It is not a learning disability or mental health problem, although people with autism may be affected by those conditions.

Study finds that women who use hormone therapy for at least five years double their risk of developing breast cancer
A follow-up to the landmark Women’s Health Initiative report of 2002 has found that postmenopausal women who take combined estrogen plus progestin menopausal hormone therapy for at least five years double their annual risk of developing breast cancer.
The same study found a clear link between hormone use and breast cancer and also found that women can quickly reduce their risks of cancer by simply stopping hormone therapy.
The initiative found that postmenopausal women taking estrogen plus progestin were at a far greater risk of developing breast cancer and other serious conditions than women who took a placebo. Hormone use plummeted in the United States after the study was published, from 60 million prescriptions in 2001 to 20 million prescriptions in 2005. In the same time, breast cancer rates also declined significantly, suggesting a strong link between hormone use and cancer risk. Some scientists claim the connection is from a higher pattern of mammogram use.
The results do not apply to women who are only taking estrogen. The WHI trial did not find an increase in breast cancer in women who used estrogen alone. Women who took estrogen without progestin, even for more than five years, were not at a higher risk for developing breast cancer. Only women who have had a hysterectomy can safely take estrogen by itself because it can over stimulate the uterine lining, leading to endometrial cancer.
This trial did not assign women to take placebos or hormone therapy, but rather followed women who made their own decisions about whether or not to undergo therapy. This study found similar results to the WHI study, which assigned participants to categories, but advised all the women involved in the study to stop taking hormones when the results were found in 2002. Women who were not taking hormones were just as likely to get a mammogram as women who were taking hormones, the study found.
Another separate study conducted by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals found that a women’s risk for breast cancer did not increase during the first two years of use.
The study found that women’s breast cancer risk rose around three years into hormone therapy but returned to normal within two years of quitting estrogen-progestin therapy.
Estrogen-progestin supplements are believed to fuel rather than initiate the growth of cancerous cells within the breasts.
Without taking any hormones, women have a 12 percent chance of getting the disease, and the odds increase with age.
The WHI study also found that estrogen-progestin increased women’s risks of having a stroke, heart attack and dangerous blood clots as well as cancer and decreased the number of fractures the women received as well as cases of colon-cancer.

One-third of women will suffer from complications due to a weak pelvic floor in their lifetime
A study by Kaiser Permanente has found that one in three women will suffer from complications of a weak pelvic floor during her lifetime.
Women can develop a weak pelvic floor despite their activity level, hormonal health and even if she has never given birth.
The pelvic floor keeps all of women’s reproductive organs, levels, layers, folds of skin and openings intact. As the muscles weaken over time, the more the organs and folds shift downward, creating pressure on the bowels and back. This can cause anal and urinary incontinence, overactive bladder activity or a complete drop of the pelvic organs, causing pain or difficulty during sexual activity, including dryness.
Factors such as obesity, smoking, high caffeine intake, chronic constipation or even sitting at desk all day can contribute to a weakened pelvic floor. Women with pelvic problems may also have hip and lower back problems which can aggravate the issue.
Women can fix the problem by undergoing surgery, which has its own complications, or by being fitted for a pessary, which is a conical, ring or square shaped device that helps support the pelvic organs and reduce the stress of incontinence.
The pelvic muscles can be strengthened through kegel exercises to prevent or delay the potential for these problems if done regularly. Tai chi, yoga and Pilates can also help strengthen the body’s core and pelvic floor.

By Sarah Lohman
The heat of summer is gone, the humidity has dissipated and the cold of winter has set in. For many, this change in temperatures is a relief from hot, humid summers.
But the disappearance of humidity and a thermostat set to summer-like temperatures can lead to dry, brittle, cracked and painful skin.
“Cold, windy weather outside compounded by dry air indoors from heating cause the skin to be depleted of moisture,” said Missy Clifton, board certified dermatologist and owner of Premier Dermatology and Skin Renewal Center in Bentonville.
Skin is often drier in the winter because cold air holds less humidity than warm air and furnaces dry out the air more. Showers tend to be longer and hotter to fight back the cold air and chase the chills out of our bodies.
Dr. Mary Sheu, a board certified dermatologist on faculty at the Johns Hopkins University school of medicine’s department of dermatology, said winter is a very important time to remember to keep skin moisturized and healthy.
The National Health Interview Survey found that 81 million Americans suffer from dry winter skin. Older individuals, whose oil glands produce less, women going through hormonal fluctuations such as menopause, and African Americans, who tend to have drier skin, are at a higher risk for winter skin irritation. People who spend a lot of time outdoors are also more exposed to the dry air and should take more precautions, like protecting their skin from the cold with scarves, hats and gloves.

Thyroid disorders, malnourishment and medications to lower cholesterol or lipids also can have a drying effect on skin. People with eczema, psoriasis or ichthyosis are already prone to dry skin need to protect from winter weather induced flare-ups.
Sheu recommended using gentler soaps made for sensitive or dry skin, such as Dove sensitive skin or Aveeno moisturizing cleanser. Showers should be kept short, around 10 to 15 minutes, and areas that need to be cleansed more often, such as the underarms, should be spot cleansed.
“Just let the water rinse the other areas,” Sheu said.
Longer exposure to water in the shower will not increase skin moisture.
“Contrary to what one would think, water actually depletes skin of moisture so short showers and baths are better,” Clifton said.
Lukewarm baths with oatmeal or baking soda can soothe dry skin without drying it out too much.
Sheu said shower water should feel comfortably warm but should not be hot enough to turn the skin red.
“For some people it is very comforting to have that really hot shower if their skin is itchy, but in the long run it will probably worsen the condition,” Sheu said.
After showering, she recommended drying off quickly and slathering on a moisturizing cream within the first minute or two of exiting the shower.
“It is more helpful to put a moisturizer on skin that is moist to begin with,” Sheu said.
Moisturizing creams tend to have a higher content of oil, emoluments and humectants and lock more moisture in. They are often thicker and must be scooped out of a jar or squeezed out of a tube. Lotions are thinner, water-based and can be squeezed out of a pump.
Sheu said dry hands should be moisturized every time they are washed. An article written by Rebecca Kazin, assistant professor of dermatology and director of the Johns Hopkins Cosmetic Center, suggests using hand soap that contains moisturizing ingredients or an alcohol-free hand sanitizer.
Soaking hands in warm water for a couple minutes and then applying cream before bedtime will keep them from getting cracked and chapped. Cotton gloves can help hold in the moisture at night as well.
When treating dry skin, Clifton said heavily fragranced soaps and lotions can cause significant irritation of already dry skin.
“I usually recommend unscented soap such as Dove for sensitive skin, Cetaphil or CeraVe soap substitutes for cleansing,” she said. “For moisture replacement my favorites are CeraVe, Cetaphil, Lubriderm and Eucerin brands.”
Fragrance-free products are less likely to irritate dry skin.
“The barrier that normally keeps irritating chemicals and substances outside of the skin, that barrier can break down and detergents and chemicals that our skin is not normally exposed to can enter through these little cracks and cause more irritation,” Sheu said. “It’s important to apply something that improves the barrier.”
She said especially itchy patches
can be treated with hydrocortisone
1 percent for a week or so, but if the patch doesn’t improve a physician should be consulted.
Sheu said dry lips should be exfoliated with a warm, wet washcloth before applying pure Shea butter. It is also important to make sunscreen part of your year-round skin care regimen, because the sun reflects off of snow.
Acne medications can further dry out skin, and people with acne-prone skin may need to switch to milder acne products during the winter months. A report published on http://www.About.com suggests switching cleansers if your normal product makes your skin feel tight and dry. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can be especially drying. It’s also beneficial to incorporate a moisturizing gel or light lotion into your acne care as well.
Sheu said drinking excess water may not help improve the skin moisture, but dehydration can cause skin to dry out more quickly. Maintaining a healthy intake of healthy fats, mono and saturated fats, can help keep skin healthy and moisturized as well.
Foods rich in antioxidants as well as essential fatty acids can also improve winter skin health, according to an article written by Kazin, director of the Johns Hopkins Cosmetic Center.
Dr. Maoshing Ni, an anti-aging specialist with the American Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners who practices in Santa Monica, Calif., also suggested consuming the recommended daily amount of vitamins A, B-Complex and E because they support healthy skin. Vitamin E can be applied directly to dry skin on the elbows, knees, hands, feet or anywhere that is especially dry. Feet should also be exfoliated and treated with a petroleum jelly or glycerine.
Clifton agreed vitamin supplements can help dry skin, but cautioned they should not replace the use of mild soap and regular skin lubrication.
“I recommend that everyone take a daily multivitamin for overall prevention of vitamin deficiency,” she said. “In addition, for people with dry skin or skin disorders, omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oils, can help to replace the essential oils of the skin. Biotin is a B vitamin that is essential for overall skin, hair and nail health. Both fish oil and biotin can be taken safely in addition to a daily multivitamin.”
WebMD suggests using humidifiers to keep inside air from drying out skin. Wet socks and gloves can also draw more moisture out of the skin, irritating skin. Waterproof and leather gloves and waterproof shoes can keep phalanges comfortable and dry in wet winter weather. Rough wool gloves can irritate dry skin, but slipping on a cotton glove first can protect skin while wool gloves keep hands toasty.
Sheu said extremely dry skin can split open, forming deep and painful cracks, if not moisturized enough.
“It’s definitely easier to prevent these conditions, once they occur we can certainly treat them,” Sheu said. “But it’s easier to prevent it from occurring in the first place.”
To keep skin healthy year-round, Clifton recommended regular dermatologist visits.
“Yearly skin examination and evaluation by a dermatologist can give you lots of great information about what is going on with the skin and how to improve the health and beauty of your skin,” she said.

Morning News reporter Antoinette Grajeda contributed to this story.

By Washington Regional Medical Center
Many women under the age of 55 aren’t seeking timely treatment for heart attack because they expect the warning signs and their reaction to follow a Hollywood script — tightening in the chest, shortness of breath, clutching the chest while dropping to one knee. The truth is that not all heart attacks conform to the stereotype of a man clutching his chest in pain. And nearly half the time, it is not a man whose heart is under assault — it’s a woman. Every year hundreds of thousands of women die as the result of a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease. Coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack, is the leading cause of death for American women over all forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
According to the American Heart Association, a recent study revealed that women lack the understanding of the dangers and symptoms of heart disease. “Only 13 percent of women consider heart disease their greatest health threat,” stated Amy Jetton, director of cardiovascular services at Washington Regional Medical Center. “In fact, heart disease kills six times more women than breast cancer each year. Nevertheless, our mental images still portray it as a man’s illness. Here at the Walker Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Washington Regional, we feel as if it is time for women to take control of their health by screening for heart disease and educating themselves on the signs and symptoms,” continued Jetton.
Researchers have found that women actually experience heart attacks differently than men. Some women have chest tightness as a symptom and some don’t ever have chest pain. Some women complain of pressure in the lower chest along with fatigue and easily mistake this as a stomach ailment. Most women who experience these symptoms fail to connect theme with a heart condition, thus are slower to seek medical attention and therefore at greater risk of dying from a heart attack than men.

Even though chest pain is the most common symptom, studies show that a heart attack for a woman plays out quite differently.
Major symptoms a woman experiences before a heart attack:
• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbance
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety and a sense that something is terribly wrong
• Indigestion
• Brief episodes of pain or discomfort between the shoulder blades weeks before (especially upon exertion)
Major symptoms a woman experiences during the heart attack:
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness and sudden fatigue
• Cold sweats with nausea
• Dizziness
• Chest pain along with neck and jaw pain (sometimes the chest pain is not present)
• Throbbing in one or both arms
• Back pain that persists

There are several factors that increase the risk of heart disease in women. The more risk factors a woman has, the greater her risk of having a heart attack. Some of the risk factors you can’t control, such as increasing age, family health history, race and gender. But a woman can modify, treat or control most risk factors to lower her risk.
The following tips can
help lower your risk of heart attack:
• Maintain a regular schedule of aerobic exercise
• Eat heart-healthy meals and if you are overweight, work with your physician on a diet plan that best fits your needs
• Get your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and sugar levels checked regularly. If your numbers are high, work with your physician to control your numbers
• Cut back on caffeine and drink plenty of water
• If you smoke, quit!
• Drink alcohol in moderation. Excessive intake increase heart attack risk
If the heart of a woman is her greatest strength, it can also contain her greatest vulnerability. Almost every minute, another woman dies of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. Disease of the heart muscle and blood vessel system is the No. 1 killer of women, accounting for one in every
2.6 deaths.
“The truth is that 40,000 American women die of breast cancer each year but 400,000 die of heart disease and stroke,” said Dr. Mary Ann Bauman, medical director for women’s health and community relations for INTEGRIS Health Inc. and a spokesperson for the Go Red For Women campaign. “It’s good that they get their mammograms, of course, but women still have a tendency to ignore or discount symptoms of heart disease.”
Part of the reason women’s heart disease symptoms sometimes go ignored is because they differ from men’s, said Dr. Philip Riley, cardiologist at Northwest Arkansas Heart and Vascular Center in Bentonville. Females were underrepresented in early heart studies so their symptoms are often considered atypical.
“I think that from our perspective, from a physician’s perspective, we haven’t had an adequate number of females in our trials to identify the problem,” he said. “Breast cancer is by far a female issue and so that’s where female health issues get a lot of attention.”
— Antoinette Grajeda