There isn’t any higher time than now to examine in in your coronary heart well being.
With the information of Lisa Marie Presley’s loss of life from an obvious cardiac arrest, it’s necessary to concentrate to threat components and household historical past. And early detection may be useful and even lifesaving in lots of circumstances.
Laura Franey, M.D., is a heart specialist at Corewell Health West, specializing in superior cardiovascular imaging. She stated a lady’s coronary heart well being is essential.
“Cardiac arrest is when the center all of a sudden stops beating,” she stated. “It could actually come on shortly, and an individual in misery with it may lose consciousness, change into disabled and even die.”
Dr. Franey stated in cardiac arrest an individual’s coronary heart goes right into a harmful rhythm. It may be a sudden onset with little to no signs. Cardiac arrest may be brought on by cardiac illness – blockages within the coronary heart or arteries – but it surely additionally may be brought on by electrolyte abnormalities, drug overdose or a extreme hit to the chest.
And whereas cardiac arrest isn’t essentially widespread in ladies, cardiac illness is.
“Cardiac illness in ladies is among the main causes of loss of life within the U.S.”
That’s why on the subject of cardiac well being, the principle issues to deal with are threat components, or causes, of cardiac illness. It’s additionally necessary to speak to your physician if in case you have a household historical past of coronary heart points, together with cardiac arrest.
Threat components for cardiac illness embody:
- Hypertension
- Levels of cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Tobacco use
- Household historical past of coronary heart situations
She additionally stated sufferers must be proactive and change into their very own advocates.
“Know your numbers,” she stated. “What’s your ldl cholesterol and blood strain? And if in case you have a robust household historical past of cardiac illness, speak to your physician about methods to attenuate dangers.”
Screening may be completely different for a lot of sufferers. Nonetheless, it sometimes begins with the evaluation of baseline threat components reminiscent of ldl cholesterol and blood strain. Relying on one’s particular person threat, extra labs and/or cardiac imaging — reminiscent of a coronary artery calcium rating — could also be thought-about to additional consider cardiac well being.
“For girls, it’s necessary to know that signs may not all the time be the everyday signs,” she stated. “Lots of people suppose chest ache whereas exercising is the one factor to look out for, and that’s not the case.”
Signs to observe for embody:
- New chest ache or strain
- Shortness of breath
- Fainting or dizziness
- Racing coronary heart
- Fatigue
“If you happen to’re noticing any of those signs, carry it up along with your major care doctor or heart specialist,” Dr. Franey stated. “It’s by no means incorrect to say new signs to your well being group.”
