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SINGAPORE – Madame Kirti Harnal had just finished cooking a meal at home on a Saturday in November 2018 when she suddenly felt fatigued.
The 60-year-old professor at the Singapore Institute of Management also had some pain in her shoulders, but thought it was due to her long hours using the computer.
But her family felt they should seek medical help, so they took her to the National University Hospital, where she discovered that she was actually having a heart attack.
One of his arteries was 95 percent blocked, while two others were 60 and 40 percent blocked.
Two days later, he underwent stent surgery, which involved inserting a small tube into a clogged artery to allow blood to flow freely.
Ms Harnal, who has two children, ages 35 and 32, said: “I was very surprised because I had a healthy diet. I definitely didn’t think I would have a heart attack.”
Like her, many women do not believe they are at risk for a heart attack. But cardiovascular disease, associated with the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots, was the leading cause of death among women here last year, according to a check from the Registry of Births and Deaths.
Only 9 percent of the 1,002 women aged 21 to 64 surveyed by the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) between January and March this year were aware of this fact.
Along with World Heart Day on September 29 and Restart a Heart Day on October 16, SHF, a social services agency, hosted talks on women’s heart health along with other topics over the weekend.
Common cardiovascular diseases include coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack and heart failure; and carotid artery disease, in which the blood supply to the brain is cut off, leading to stroke, brain damage, and death.
SHF’s survey, titled Go Red For Women, also found that 34 percent of those surveyed believe that breast cancer is their biggest health threat. But in reality, cardiovascular disease took the lives of 2,689 women here last year, while breast cancer caused 445 deaths.
Dr. Goh Ping Ping, a cardiologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, noted that women, especially younger ones, tend to overlook the danger of heart disease.
Cancer diagnoses “are heard more often and seem more sinister,” he said.
“But the fact is, heart disease kills six times as many women each year and can lead to debilitating conditions like heart failure.”
Dr. Rohit Khurana, senior consultant cardiologist at the Harley Street Heart and Vascular Center at Gleneagles Hospital, said there is “an unfortunate lack of awareness” about cardiovascular disease in women, not only among patients, but also among professionals. Of the health.
This may be due to an underrepresentation of women in heart disease research, he said, with women accounting for only 30 percent of participants in most studies and trials.
“Gender differences in the presentation of symptoms cause women to have greater delays in recognizing, investigating, and ultimately treating their heart disease.
“This combination of inadequate research and a lack of testing widens the gap in knowledge about cardiovascular disease in women, increasing the risk of treatment delays and an overall worse prognosis among patients.”
The main risk factors for cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity or being overweight, and a family history of the disease.
Aside from chest pain, which can affect both men and women, the most common heart attack symptoms in women are neck, jaw, or shoulder pain, shortness of breath, nausea, feelings of indigestion, and fatigue.
These symptoms may not be as noticeable as the crushing chest pain associated with heart attacks. This could be because women are more likely to have blockages in the tiny vessels of the heart rather than the large arteries, a condition called small vessel heart disease.
Madame Harnal, for example, did not think that her sudden fatigue could mean a heart attack, as she did not have severe chest pain, unlike her father, who experienced that, as well as severe pain in her left arm when He had a heart attack. in her 30s. She survived the attack.
Dr. Khurana said that women also tend to have “silent” heart attacks that do not exhibit any symptoms.
“This may be because women have underlying conditions, such as diabetes, that can lead to numbness or a reduced ability to feel pain,” he added.
Dr. Goh said that the risk of heart disease in women increases after menopause due to a decrease in the female hormone estrogen.
“Estrogen is believed to have a good effect on the inner layer of the arterial wall, helping to keep the blood vessels flexible to accommodate blood flow. Estrogen also has a protective effect against hypertension and high cholesterol,” he said.
After menopause, women experience lower levels of good cholesterol and higher levels of bad cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, the accumulation of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the walls of the arteries , which can restrict blood flow. .
Retired data entry clerk Cheah Aek Hong, whose mother died of heart disease more than 50 years ago, didn’t pay much attention to her diet and hardly exercised. The 65-year-old man often felt tired quickly and felt short of breath after climbing a short flight of stairs.
A consultation with the doctor showed that he had mitral stenosis, a condition in which there is a narrowing of the mitral valve that blocks blood flow to the heart.
He underwent surgery in February last year at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) to replace the entire valve with a mechanical one.
This was followed by in-hospital therapy and rehabilitation sessions under SHF’s Heart Wellness Program at the Heart Wellness Center at Fortune Center, where she learned simple exercises and received tips on nutrition.
Madame Cheah, who has two children, ages 32 and 29, says she is now monitoring her diet more closely.
Also, Madame Harnal hardly exercised in the past but now takes walks in the park and does simple exercises at home with light weights.
He has also undergone rehabilitation at the SHF Heart Wellness Center in Bukit Gombak.
Dr. Goh said that prevention of cardiovascular disease should begin as soon as possible, although the risk of such diseases in women increases after menopause.
“Women should not wait until they are 40 to make heart health their priority. Early risk assessment and early detection of risk factors are important, as is early adoption of a healthy diet and exercise,” He said.
He advised people over the age of 18 to get screened for risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes and hypertension.
Depending on the results, the doctor may suggest a regular cardiovascular exam or further evaluation for heart disease.
Said Dr. Khurana: “Women need to be educated about their risk for cardiovascular disease and taught to recognize the symptoms of coronary heart disease and stroke early so that they can speak to a doctor immediately when they experience them. Screening and early treatment improves long-term results at term and quality of life. “
7 tips to control or prevent the disease
Dr. Rohit Khurana, Senior Consultant Cardiologist at the Harley Street Heart and Vascular Center at Gleneagles Hospital, shares seven tips for managing or preventing cardiovascular disease.
1. Maintain a healthy diet
Try to avoid unhealthy foods loaded with trans fat, salt, and sugar, as these increase risk factors like bad cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
If you are not sure what healthy foods to eat, try a Mediterranean diet of vegetables, fruits, fish, and whole grains.
2. Avoid smoking
Chemicals in cigarette smoke can narrow blood vessels and lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and aneurysms.
Exposure to secondhand smoke can also cause cardiovascular disease in nonsmokers. If he doesn’t smoke but is always around someone who does, encourage him to quit.
3. Be physically active
At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week can lower your blood pressure and bad cholesterol to a healthy level.
If you are currently inactive, start slowly, as even a few minutes of exercise a day can offer some health benefits.
4. Maintain a healthy weight
Obesity puts you at greater risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance, factors that increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.
If you’re not sure whether your weight is within the normal or healthy range, use a body mass index (BMI) calculator to measure your body fat. In general, a BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight.
5. Reduce stress levels
Some people cope with stress in unhealthy ways, such as overeating, drinking, and smoking, leading to cardiovascular disease.
Stress in women can also result in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which changes the shape of the heart muscle, leading to heart rhythm problems, shock, or even death.
6. Get a good night’s sleep
People who don’t get enough sleep are at increased risk for obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, and depression.
If you’re getting the recommended seven to eight hours a night but still tired during the day, ask your doctor if you need to be evaluated for obstructive sleep apnea.
Treatments for sleep apnea may include losing weight if you are overweight or using a continuous airway pressure device to keep your airways open during sleep.
7. Go to the screenings
High blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and bad cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
These can be monitored through regular health exams, which will let you know if you need to make the right lifestyle changes to reduce your risk.
In conjunction with World Heart Day on September 29 and Restart a Heart Day on October 16, the Singapore Heart Foundation held a series of virtual programs over the weekend to encourage people to take charge of the health of your heart. The events, which included talks from health experts, trainings and cooking demonstrations, can be viewed on this website until October 31.
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