Since 1999, Holly Morrell’s nonprofit, Heartfelt Screening, has offered heart screenings to over 55,000 adults and children in Orange County, CA, saving more than 1,000 lives in the process. Among them: a 38-year-old mother who showed up at a community screening event, wanting to have her kids’ hearts checked, but not her own.
“I questioned her about it, and she told me that she was a celebrated distance runner and in the best shape of her life,” says Morrell.
Morrell persuaded her to be screened anyway. The results revealed a congenital birth defect that open heart surgery was needed to repair. “I went to a Heartfelt screening to protect my kids and ended up saving my own life,” the woman told Morrell.
It’s a scenario that frequently plays out at Heartfelt’s community events. “Women, mothers, and caregivers often focus more on those that are in their care rather than themselves,” Morrell says.
When it comes to heart health, that can be a mistake. “Contrary to what people believe, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. It’s not just a guy’s disease,” says Renée Bullock-Palmer, MD, director of Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging and Women's Heart Center at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills , NJ.
According to the CDC, 44% of women in the U.S. have some form of heart disease. It can affect you at any age. Knowing your risks and making simple changes in your daily life can reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke as much as 80%.
That’s why heart health screenings -- for your loved ones and for yourself -- are so important.
How Women’s Heart Disease Differs From Men’s
Heart disease shows up differently for women. For instance:
Your heart’s smaller. If you’re assigned female at birth (AFAB), your heart is smaller and your blood vessels are narrower than someone who’s assigned male at birth (AMAB). That difference can require different diagnostic tests and treatments, although not all doctors use them.
Your reproductive organs can put you at risk. For instance, endometriosis and pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia raise your chances of heart disease.
Your heart attack symptoms can be more subtle. For both men and women, chest pain is the main sign of a heart attack. But nausea, heavy sweating, throwing up, and pain in your jaw, throat, belly, or back are also common red flags if you’re AFAB.
“A lot of times, women tend to underplay their symptoms and put them on the back burner,” says Palmer. “And then on the other side, women, especially young women, get tested [for heart disease] less.”
What Tests Are Included in a Cardiovascular Screening Panel?
A basic heart health screening checks your risk of heart disease. It can include:
Your health history. You’ll answer questions about your family history, stress level, and risk for depression, as well as your sleep and exercise habits.
A physical exam. Your doctor will measure your blood pressure and BMI (body mass index).
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This is a quick, painless test that checks the electrical activity of your heart.
Lab tests. Blood tests can check your blood sugar, cholesterol, and levels of inflammatory markers that raise your risk for heart disease.
Based on your results, your doctor may follow up with more lab work or imaging tests. For instance, a coronary calcium scan is a CT scan of your heart. It can look for buildup in your arteries that reduce blood flow and increase your chances of a heart attack or stroke.
Being fit isn’t an excuse to put off a screening. While eating healthy foods and regularly working out can lower your risk of some diseases, aging and your genes also play a part.
“You could be doing everything right but still have high blood pressure or high cholesterol,” says Jennifer Wong, MD, a cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. “And we really want to control these things because they can be controlled.”
Knowing Your Family History
Knowing your family history is also key in protecting your heart. Just because a relative has a heart issue doesn’t guarantee that you will, too. But it does raise your chances. For instance, if you have multiple family members diagnosed with heart disease, the chances that you will, too, go up 12-fold.
Six of Morrell’s family members died of a heart condition called HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), which causes the heart muscle to thicken, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. “Those lives could have been spared had there been the advancements in medicine, technology, diagnostic tools, and medication that we have access to now,” says Morrell.
In 2002, three years after founding Heartfelt, Morrell was diagnosed with HCA as well. But after seven heart surgeries, she considers herself “a lucky one.”
“You can live a happy, healthy, active life with heart disease,” says Morrell. “You just need to know that you have it.”
To learn about your family’s history of heart disease, reach out to your relatives. Ask if anyone’s been diagnosed with a heart condition, and if so, at what age. Then share that information with your doctor so you can decide the next steps you should take.
“If you have a family history, then generally I recommend you start screening at 10 years before that person presented with symptoms,” says Palmer. For instance, if your parent had a heart attack at 55, your heart screenings should begin at 45.
If you’re adopted, you may be able to collect health details about your parents from a state medical agency. Or talk to your doctor about genetic testing, which can detect changes in your DNA that may raise your odds for heart disease.
How to Support a Loved One With Heart Disease
Finding out that you have a heart issue can feel overwhelming. To support a friend or family member:
Give them a chance to share their feelings. It’s OK if you don’t know what to say. Just being there to listen can mean a lot.
Help them connect. In times of stress, it’s common to pull back from others. But doing so can raise your risk of depression. (One study found that feeling lonely and isolated increased older women’s risk of developing heart disease in the first place.) Set up a regular time to get together or help your loved one find a support group to connect with others living with heart disease.
Set an example. Make it easier for your loved one to make healthy choices. “Support them by encouraging healthy diet and exercise and reduced stress levels, which is something family members can always help each other with,” says Wong.
Spread the word. A diagnosis of a heart condition is an opportunity to spread the word about heart health and how important it is to get screened. “That’s why my program exists,” says Morrell. “It's all about community and human connection and wanting to raise awareness in order to protect lives.”
Show Sources
Photo Credit: E+/Getty Images
SOURCES:
Holly Morrell, founder and executive director, Heartfelt Screening, Laguna Beach, CA.
Renée Bullock-Palmer, MD, volunteer expert, American Heart Association, director, Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging, Nuclear Cardiology, and Women's Heart Center, Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Browns Mills, NJ.
Jennifer Wong, MD, medical director, Non-Invasive Cardiology, MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center, Fountain Valley, CA.
CDC: “Women and Heart Disease.”
Piedmont Healthcare: “Heart Screening: What to Expect.”
UT Southwestern Medical Center: “Why Heart Health Should Be a Family Affair.”
Go Red for Women: “How to Support a Friend with Heart Disease.”
Memorial Healthcare System: “Women’s Heart Program.”
Mayo Clinic: “Coronary calcium scan,” “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”
Jefferson Health: “Questions To Ask Your Family About Their Health History.”
Allima Foundation: “Family Medical History Questions: Why Your Doctor Wants to Know.”
Brigham and Women’s Hospital: “Heart Disease: 7 Differences Between Men and Women.”
JAMA Network Open: “Evaluation of Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Women in the US.”
