Commentary: We must focus more on fighting heart disease in women

It's a statistic that no one wants to be a part of, but will become a reality for approximately one in five women: Heart disease kills a woman about every 80 seconds, according to the American Heart Association. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in women, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined.

Heart disease and stroke can affect women at any age, and new research shows that heart attacks are on the rise in younger women. Despite these alarming statistics, the attention dedicated to heart disease in women and on identifying solutions continues to fall short.

To compound the issues related to heart disease in women, cardiovascular research is most often performed in men, causing a gap in how this research can be applied to women. Women also respond differently to medications. These are a few of the reasons why it is critically important for women of every age to take charge of their heart health and encourage others to do the same. Women must be their own advocates, and prevention starts with knowing your numbers: total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index. Increasing physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and monitoring your blood pressure are steps every person, man or woman, can take to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Women should also prioritize scheduling an annual exam, and talk to their doctors about any signs or symptoms they may be experiencing.

Females have different patterns of heart disease and heart attacks than males - up to half of females who have heart attacks do not have complete blockage of the heart arteries, which makes it difficult to diagnose and treat. It is more difficult to prevent recurrence in females. Almost one fourth of females who experience a heart attack will have a second heart attack within five years.

Heart disease in women must be addressed through many avenues – including political policies, healthcare research, and personal advocacy. Our legislators must continue to focus on legislative and regulatory policies at all levels of government that will help improve women's heart health. As healthcare providers and scientists, we must continue to push for more research. As females, we must continue to advocate for ourselves and for those we love.

One way to continue expanding therapy options for women with cardiovascular disease involves clinical trials. As the only heart clinic in Central Texas dedicated to women, the Ascension Seton Women's Heart Center is proud to be an active participant in an ongoing trial, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, for women who experience chest pain and other signs of reduced blood flow but are found to have no significant blockages in their coronary arteries. Women with these conditions are often released from cardiac care, labeled normal, but continue to have symptoms. The clinical trial, called WARRIOR, is designed to determine the best medication therapies for treating women with chest pain and no significant coronary artery disease.

Another effort is based in our cath lab. We can provide specialized testing of coronary artery function that is designed to investigate female patterns of disease such as microvascular disease and vasospasm or endothelial dysfunction. We are the only center in Central Texas with this specialized coronary function testing. The good news is that this is not a zero-sum game. There are men with these diseases, although in lower proportion. The more we diagnose and understand these issues, the more people we can help within our community.

I ask that you advocate for women's heart health in any way you can – so that we all stay focused on preventing heart attacks and strokes that can cause disability and death among our daughters, mothers and female colleagues and leaders.

If you have questions about heart disease in women, keep asking. If you have symptoms, keep advocating for appropriate testing. If you have a family history, take additional precautions. We must continue to work together to fight for a future in which heart disease is no longer the number one killer of women.

Dr. Giesler is a cardiologist and Director of the Women's Heart Institute at Ascension Seton.

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