Cardiovascular - February 2015 Archives

Virginia Miller, Ph.D., director of the Women’s Health Research Center at Mayo Clinic, has spent her career researching how heart disease differs in women and men. On Feb. 10, she was honored for that work with a Woman’s Day Red Dress Award in New York City. She received the award along with others who have made contributions in the fight against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women today. Other award winners are: Andie MacDowell, actress and Go Red For Women spokesperson; CVS Health, the first national pharmacy chain to end tobacco sales; Margaret Hamburg, M.D., Former Commissioner of Food and Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and Jennifer Donelan, WJLA TV ABC 7 reporter in Washington, D.C., and a heart attack survivor. Dr. Miller’s research focuses on how sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, affect the blood vessels and heart in women and men, as well as the role of other gender differences in cardiovascular health. An important part of her research is to advocate for research that is sex-specific, meaning that research studies include both men and women, and that the results are analyzed separately by sex. Historically, and today even, that has not always happened, but it is so important, Dr. Miller says. “It is poor science to study one sex and apply the results to the other,” she says. “In the end, that does not help health care providers treat patients the best they can. With heart disease still as the No. 1 cause of death in women and men, we need to continue to research in the best ways possible in order to treat heart disease.”

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I know that heart disease is the leading killer among men and women, but is it true that men and women have different risk factors for heart disease? ANSWER: You are correct that heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States. Many risk factors are the same for both genders. But there are some differences between men and women that can have an impact on an individual’s risk of heart disease. One of most significant heart disease risk factors for both men and women is smoking. Nicotine can narrow your arteries, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining. That makes the vessels more likely to become thick and stiff, a condition known as arteriosclerosis. Eventually arteriosclerosis limits blood flow, increasing the risk of a heart attack. Because of this, heart attacks are more common in smokers than in nonsmokers.

Lubb-dupp. Lubb-dupp. Those words are often used to describe the sound of a heartbeat. That steady, regular sound is made by heart valves, opening and closing as blood circulates through your heart. The term heart “murmur” refers to a different sound. A murmur is an abnormal extra sound that can be heard through a stethoscope. Sometimes, the murmur sounds like a humming; it may be faint or temporary, with onset during pregnancy or fever. As quickly as it comes, the murmur may disappear. However, a murmur could be persistent and loud, easily heard like a churning mill wheel or even like a cooing seagull, indicating a serious heart problem. A murmur can have several causes. Mayo Clinic Health System cardiologist Michel Barsoum, M.D., says it could be a heart valve problem. "The valves in your heart act as doors between the chambers, or rooms, of the heart. When heart valves are very tight or narrow, that is called stenosis."

Miss the show? Here's the podcast: Mayo Clinic Radio 02-14-15 podcast Can erectile dysfunction (ED) predict heart disease? Find out on this week’s Mayo Clinic Radio. ...

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The measles outbreak continues to grow in the U.S. We’ll have the latest from Mayo Clinic pediatrician Dr. Robert Jacobson. Also on Mayo Clinic Radio, ...

It's time we start seeing red! That's what Mayo Clinic Health System nurse practitioner Susan Pope says, as we prepare to recognize American Heart Month. Heart disease is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined and according to the American Heart Association, while one in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, heart disease claims the lives of one in three. That’s about one death each minute. So make sure you’re as committed to heart disease prevention as you should be to your yearly mammogram. That means maintaining a healthy weight, keeping your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol at healthy levels and quitting smoking. Or better yet, don’t start. Stay physically and mentally active. The more we know about our nation’s No. 1 killer of women, the better. So, take this quick quiz on heart disease and women. True or False: Heart disease only affects older women. False. Heart disease affects women of all ages. The combination of birth control pills and smoking boosts heart disease risks by 20 percent in young women, the American Heart Association says. Yes, our risk increases as we age. Overeating and leading a sedentary lifestyle are factors that lead to blocked arteries over time. But don’t let your age lull you into a false sense of security. I take care of women of all ages in the hospital. Heart disease is an equal opportunity threat.