Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Heart of the matter

Did you know women are more at risk of heart attacks than men?

PHOTO: SUBIR ROY

Tough task Diagnosing heart attacks becomes more difficult in women because they tend to have less typical symptoms

Sanjeevani is 63 years old. For the past few weeks, she has been feeling unusually tired and has been having what she thinks is indigestion. Today, she has developed tightness across her chest and is feeling breathless. Sarah is 54. She has just ret urned from a trip and is feeling short of breath. She has pain going up the left side of her neck and along her jaw. Both Sanjeevani and Sarah need immediate medical attention. They could be having is a heart attack.

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is known in medical terms as a myocardial infarction. The heart has blood vessels running along its surface, known as coronary arteries which supply blood to the muscle of the heart. A heart attack occurs when one of the coronary arteries becomes severely or totally blocked by a clot and the heart muscle gets damaged.

Women are at greater risk

Contrary to popular belief, women are more at risk for heart attacks than men. Compared to men, women are usually about 10 years older at the time of their first attack. Diagnosing heart attacks becomes more difficult in women because women tend to have less typical symptoms. All over the world, it has been shown that doctors tend to misinterpret women’s symptoms and have a harder time diagnosing it in women.

Heart attacks are deadlier in women at any age than they are in men. Women are more likely to die within a year after their first heart attack.

What causes heart attacks?

Atherosclerosis is due to fatty streaks that form gradually on the inside of blood vessels. Inflammation and damage to these streaks causes low-density lipoproteins (also known as “bad cholesterol,”) and triglycerides, to stick to the inside of the coronary arteries. Clot-producing platelets begin to collect over the site. The fatty materials and toxins that build up are known as stable or unstable plaque.

If the coating of an unstable plaque is stripped off, this is known as a plaque rupture. Though the exact trigger is unknown, it can occur as a result of strong, fast blood flow, especially during heavy exertion or emotional stress. The result may be a heart attack.

Symptoms

Though most attacks produce symptoms, up to a quarter of heart attacks may go unnoticed and are known as silent heart attacks. Women are less likely than men to feel severe chest pain. Women are more likely to report a feeling of severe heartburn in the upper abdomen or pain in the breast or pain in the back, neck or jaw. Many women may have unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, indigestion and anxiety in the weeks leading up to their heart attack.

Surviving a heart attack

The chances of surviving a heart attack depend largely on the treatment that is given within the first hour after the heart attack. While waiting for help to arrive or on the way to the hospital, people who are suspected of having a heart attack should take a tablet of aspirin. Aspirin, by inhibiting the formation of blood clots, can decrease the risk of death by about 25 per cent. Always stock aspirin tablets in your first-aid kit at home.

How much damage?

The majority of patients recover fully. Some people may go in for a chronic condition called heart failure, in which at least one chamber of the heart is not pumping well enough to meet the body’s demands. Sometimes an arrhythmia or irregular rhythm can result. Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating altogether. This is usually due to a malfunction in the heart’s electrical system, or ventricular fibrillation. In the absence of immediate medical attention, this can result in sudden cardiac death. Cardiogenic shock is a condition in which damaged heart muscle cannot pump normally and enters a shock like state, often fatal.

Recovering from heart attack

After a heart attack, two to six weeks may be needed to recover, depending on the severity of the attack. Cardiac rehabilitation programmes are strongly recommended to help women who have had a heart attack get back on their feet quickly and safely.

GITA ARJUN

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail