The Heart Attack Symptoms Women Don't Recognize
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women — more than two times all cancers combined. And most of us still think it's a man's problem.
In this episode Michele and Liz sit down with two guests for a first on Spark Me — Dr. Jennifer Nesfeder, a board-certified interventional cardiologist specializing in women's heart health, and Courtney Deignan, Development Director for the American Heart Association in eastern Pennsylvania. Together they cover everything women need to know at every stage of life — and a lot of what we've been getting wrong.
Dr. Nesfeder breaks down why women's heart attack symptoms are so often missed or misdiagnosed as anxiety or acid reflux, what your numbers actually mean and what to do about them, why menopause changes your heart risk dramatically, and the truth about hormone therapy, statins, and GLP-1 medications. Courtney shares the personal loss that brought her to this mission, what the American Heart Association is doing at the community level, and the free resources available right now at heart.org.
This is the episode that could genuinely change — and save — your life.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
- Why heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined — and why awareness is actually dropping
- How women's heart attack symptoms differ from men's — and why jaw pain, fatigue, nausea, and back pain are often dismissed as something else
- What to ask your doctor in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and through menopause to protect your heart at every stage
- Why pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes are actually early warning signs of future heart risk
- How the drop in estrogen during menopause increases your cardiovascular risk — and what that means for your care
- The truth about hormone replacement therapy and what the current research actually says
- What the research shows about GLP-1 medications and heart health
- What your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers should actually be — and what Lipoprotein A is and why you should ask to have it checked
- Why statins are one of the most effective medications in medicine — and what to do if you think you're having side effects
- Why a good primary care doctor is the most important person on your healthcare team
- What to do if you think something is wrong — and why women wait too long to seek help
- How to get involved with the American Heart Association and access free resources
Resources From This Episode:
- American Heart Association — heart.org
- Go Red for Women campaign — heart.org/goredforwomen
- Free recipes and nutrition guides — heart.org
- Blood pressure loaner programs at local libraries — contact your local AHA chapter
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