This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Isabel Balachandran about identifying heart risks in younger women. Dr. Balachandran is an Assistant Professor of Cardiology and a cardiologist specializing in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. The threat of heart disease is rising among younger women in the U.S.. Doctor Isabel Balachandran is here to talk about the details, and also to tell us what we can do to reduce our risk of heart disease. Doctor Balachandran is an Assistant Professor of Cardiology and a cardiologist specializing in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at MUSC. Doctor Balachandran, tell us about the recent increase of heart disease in younger women in the U.S..
Dr. Balachandran: Thank you, Bobbi, for inviting me today to speak on this really important and relevant topic. Heart disease is still often viewed as a disease of older men. Over the last several decades, we've made incredible progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, one demographic that progress seems to have halted in, is in younger women. And we're talking about women in their 20s. 30s 40s. One alarming statistic that I recently read was that about 44% of women in those decades carry at least one heart disease risk factor. Mostly this was driven by high blood pressure, but it's something that keys us into looking for risk factors sooner than we have been before.
Conner: And you mentioned high blood pressure, but do we know other reasons that younger women might be at risk of heart disease?
Dr. Balachandran: The challenge is that there's not really one single cause that puts women at increased risks. In addition to the traditional risk factors for heart disease, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, women carry their own specific risk factors. What this means is that women who have been in their childbearing ages, have undergone pregnancy, if you can imagine that, that's actually one of the biggest stress tests that a woman can undergo. In those who have been pregnant and develop gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, or early term delivery, their risks for developing hypertension, diabetes, and other cardiovascular risk factors are also elevated. In addition, women are often at risk for developing autoimmune conditions as well as migraine with aura, which is also now being understood as a heart disease risk factor.
Conner: Is it important for young adults, including women, to be assessed for heart risks?
Dr. Balachandran: Absolutely. Starting at the age of 18, all adults, both women and men, should be screened early with their primary care doctors for basic risk factors, including high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, as well as family history and smoking status.
Conner: Doctor Balachandran, what can younger women do to reduce their risk of heart disease?
Dr. Balachandran: Knowledge is power in this case. Know your blood pressure. Your cholesterol. Blood sugar. Don't smoke or vape nicotine. Exercise at least 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly and strength training at least twice a week. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats. Prioritize sleep and stress management. These lifestyle modifications altogether are key to preventing heart disease.
Conner: Doctor Balachandran, thanks for talking with us about women and heart health.
Dr. Balachandran: Thank you.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
