Heart disease is the most common cause of death and disability in urban women

Important differences between women and men in the presentation of heart disease make it more difficult to establish a diagnosis in women, said Padma Shri and Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India. He was addressing a press conference as a curtain raiser to the 5th Dil Ka Darbar to be held on Sunday, 29th September. The event is being organized by the Heart Care Foundation of India at Constitution Club of India in association with Ayush, Department of Health, Government of NCT Delhi, LIC, MTNL, Central Bank of India and GAIL.

Special Guests of Honour were Padma Shri & Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee Yogeshwar Dutt, a Bronze Medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the  60kg Freestyle wrestling, Dronacharya Awardee Yashbir Singh (Wrestling coach) and Arjuna Awardee Dharmendra Dalal, a Bronze Medalist in in 120 Kg Greco-Roman style wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Dr KK Aggarwal said:

1.    Women generally present 10 years later than men and with greater risk   factor burden.

2.    Women are less likely than men to have typical angina.

3.    Women in the emergency department with new onset of chest pain are approached and diagnosed less aggressively than man.

4.  Women are more likely to present initially with chest pain than a more clearly defined event such as heart attack.

5. Symptoms of heart attack in women differ from those in men.

6.  Many cases of heart attack in women are unrecognized.

7.  In women, treadmill exercise has a higher false positive rate.

8.  Small vessel disease is more common in women than in men.

9.  Established risk factors in women are: Presence of history of heart blockages; age over 55 years; high LDL (bad) or low HDL (good) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease or family history of heart disease. 

10.  Risk factors, which are more potent in women than in men are: Smoking is associated  with 50% of all coronary events in women; diabetes confers more prognostic information in women than in men.

Prevention in Women

For all Women

·        Moderate intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes and for 60 to 90 minutes for weight management on most days of the week.

·        Avoidance and cessation of cigarette smoking and passive smoking

·        Keep waist circumference less than 35 inches.

·        Take a heart-friendly diet.

·        Presence of high triglyceride levels.  One should add Omega 3 fatty acids to diet.

·        Control cholesterol level, high blood pressure and diabetes.

·        Women who smoke should avoid oral contraceptive pills.

·        Aspirin 80 mg in more than 65 years of age should be added
·        Treat underlying depression.

 Women at high risk

·  Aspirin 75 to 150 mg, as prevention

·  Control of blood pressure.

·  No use of anti oxidant vitamin supplement.

·  No use of folic acid support.

·  No Hormone Replacement Therapy.

·  Lowering of LDL cholesterol of less than 80.

Co-addressing the Press Conference, Mr GP Sinha GM (Mktg) MTNL said that the best gift we can give to our wives, mothers and sisters is an annual heart check up.  Dr NK Yadav, MHO, South Delhi, Medical Corporation; Dr. PK Sharma, MOH, NDMC; Dr NV Kamat, Director, Health Services, Delhi; and Sr representatives from Central Bank of India in a joint statement said that our concern in women should shift from breast cancer to heart awareness as the lifestyle adopted to prevent heart disease would also prevent breast cancer.