Special Heart Monitoring For Females

Published May 23, 2010

Heart disease and not cancer is the leading cause of death among the female population of the United States. The tragic part however is, that in women, heart disease is most often a silent killer. Over fifty percent of the women who die suddenly as a result of a heart attack showed no previous symptoms of cardiac disease. This is why intensive screening for cardiac risk is so important for women.

Women need to be very pro-active in managing their health. It has not been too long ago that doctors were noted for paying less attention to female complaints than those of men and assuming that many legitimate symptoms were “all in their head.” Therefore women need to be sure that, in addition to cholesterol and triglyceride, they are screened for four other coronary risk factors: elevated lipoprotein, increased fibrinogen, elevated homocysteine, and decreased serum magnesium.

Lipoprotein is a fatty protein in the blood. Recent studies have determined that high levels of lipoproteins double the risk of heart disease by the time a woman is fifty-five years old.

Heart attacks are also cause by thrombosis, a tendency for the blood to clot. Fibrinogen is a protein, which changes to fibrin. Fibrin comprises the elastic filaments that form a clot. Researchers believe that a high level of fibrinogen is an indicator of high heart attack risk and premature death.

Women tend to have higher levels of fibrinogen than men and it is more of a risk factor for women. Levels above 350-400 mg/dl are believed to be dangerous.

Homocysteine is an amino acid, which is a serious risk factor for heart attacks. Scientists have found that high levels of homocysteine are a more significant predictor of heart problems in women than in men. Anything above 16 micromoles per liter is considered elevated.

Homocysteine buildup is a result of deficiencies in B vitamins and can be lowered in a month or less by taking B vitamin supplements and/or modifying your diet to ensure adequate Vitamin B intake.

The function of magnesium in the heart is to prevent abnormal heart rhythms and spasms of coronary arteries. It also plays a role in deterring blood clot formations. Normal levels of magnesium are 2mg/dl. If levels are lower, they need to be monitored, as decreased levels are a risk factor for heart disease.

Research has established that magnesium deficiencies definitely affect heart function. Yet a survey that was conducted in 1995 concluded that 75% of American adults do not ingest the daily requirement for magnesium, which is 350 mg. for males and 280 mg. for females. Heavy consumers of alcohol, hypertension patients taking diuretics and diabetics dependent on insulin are at a particularly high risk.

Women also need to be aware that symptoms of heart problems in women are very different from men. Women are less likely to experience chest pain. A heart problem in a woman is often indicated by back pain, numbness in the arm and nausea. When all of the symptoms are present, women should definitely seek medical help.

Post-menopausal women are especially vulnerable to heart disease due to the drop in hormone estrogen levels. While hormone replacement therapy can protect women from heart disease, it is not without risk and each woman needs to make an individual decision after carefully evaluating all the pros and cons.

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Special Heart Monitoring For Females

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