Heart disease survivor Lorna Morgan is urging other women to be aware of their risks and not ignore their symptoms after almost dying prematurely from a blocked artery.

The 75-year-old Montego Bay resident, who was diagnosed in November 2023, told JIS News that she had been experiencing chest pain for some time, but she mostly ignored it.

“I wasn’t doing anything strenuous. I was sitting there watching TV or something and the TV just turned on and I started banging my chest with my fingers until I forgot,” she said. I did.

The cause of her chest pain was that one of her arteries was 70% blocked.

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Healthy arteries have smooth inner walls, allowing blood to flow easily. However, in some people, plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries, reducing or even completely blocking blood flow.

When your arteries become clogged, your chances of heart attack, stroke, and even death are greatly increased.

Morgan is glad she made the decision to seek help for her chest pain before it was too late.

He advised people, especially women, to avoid fatty foods and to get regular heart tests even if they have no symptoms.

“I think you should get your heart checked before you start feeling chest pains and watch your diet as well. Believe me, I love KFC chicken, but I can’t eat it at all and I avoid fried foods at home. ” she said.

Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, refers to a group of diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels, including but not limited to coronary artery disease (CAD), vascular heart disease, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmia. Related.

Although heart disease tends to be associated with men, more women than men die from these diseases each year around the world.

This may be due to several factors, including late diagnosis, atypical symptoms, lack of awareness, and delays in care.

Therefore, it is important for women to be aware of their risks and work with their doctors to reduce them through lifestyle modifications and medications.

High blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, high stress, and family history are the main risk factors for heart disease.

For women, there are some gender-specific issues that make them more vulnerable. These include pregnancy-related complications such as irregular periods, early menopause, oral contraceptive use, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and gestational diabetes.

Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) consultant cardiologist Dr. Deron Reid told JIS News that Caribbean women are more susceptible to heart disease due to “significant rates” of obesity.

He emphasizes the need for awareness and early screening to manage the associated risks.

Dr. Reed points out that premenopausal women are generally at lower risk for coronary heart disease, such as heart attacks and angina (severe chest pain). However, the risk increases after menopause.

This may be because estrogen keeps arteries flexible, or because estrogen has a beneficial effect on blood lipids by lowering bad cholesterol.

Dr. Reed says that often mild symptoms of cardiovascular disease in women are ignored and diagnosis delayed.

“They (women) may not be feeling the typical retrosternal pressure or pain that runs from the jaw to the arm. They may just have a stabbing or burning pain, but they may not feel much “In these cases, the cause may be something other than the heart, so diagnosis is delayed considerably,” he pointed out.

To protect against heart disease, Dr. Reed encouraged women to engage in regular physical activity that strengthens the heart muscle.

“We recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to broad-based exercise per week, evenly distributed. This may include gardening or some form of aerobic exercise, brisk walking, jogging, running, or biking. ” he advised.

“And, of course, you should try to eat a balanced diet. Also, watch your cholesterol and avoid seafood that is high in cholesterol, such as crab, lobster and shrimp,” he added.

Heart disease can block the arteries, blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain and increasing the risk of stroke.

“So if there’s an obstruction to blood flow…it can affect the whole body as well. Blocked blood vessels that affect the brain can cause a stroke, and the same process can occur in the legs. . You can develop so-called peripheral artery disease, a more systemic disease that doesn’t just affect specific organs of the body,” Dr. Reed emphasized.

He added that it is essential for people to have regular electrocardiogram (ECG) tests, especially those with a family history of genetic diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

“If you have a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure, and you have hypertension, you should have an electrocardiogram done annually to screen for heart disease,” Dr. Reed said.

JIS News