Tag: Heart Attack

Estrogen Can Lower The Risk Of Breast Cancer And Heart Attack In Some Women!

A woman’s menstrual cycle is controlled by the hormones estrogen and progesterone circulating in their bloodstream.

As women enter into their 40s and 50s these levels start to decline and she begins to develop the symptoms of peri-menopause or menopause.

These symptoms include hot flashes (flushing), insomnia, bone changes, a lack of a menstrual period and unwanted aging.

Hormone replacement therapy, most commonly done with synthetic estrogen and progesterone, is the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms (flushing) and other symptoms of menopause.

However, there are important distinctions that must be made between taking estrogen plus progestin and estrogen alone in terms of benefits and risks.

Conventional wisdom prior to a recent report had been that estrogen may increase the risk of breast cancer in women, especially when taken in combination with progestin for the treatment of the symptoms of menopause.

The recent report from the Women’s Health Initiative, which began in 1991, reported findings that women who have previously had a hysterectomy and take estrogen alone have a markedly reduced risk of breast cancer and heart attack.

However, the positive data pertained to women in their 50s for this benefit as women in their 70s actually experienced a greater incidence of heart attack.

The association of treatment combining estrogen and progestin and an increased risk for breast cancer and heart attack remains true.

So this is the bottom line:

  • Estrogen alone and in your 50s, good.
  • Estrogen alone starting in your 70s not necessarily good and your risk factors need to be considered on an individual basis before taking.
  • Estrogen and progestin should only be used after considering all risks by your Doctor and for a limited duration.

Next week we will look at the alternatives to the synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones known as the bio-identicals.

Understanding The Symptoms Of A Heart Attack

About every 34 seconds, someone in the United States suffers from a heart attack!

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans survive heart attacks, and are able to enjoy a normal life.

Heart disease is when plaque forms in the arteries that bring oxygen to the heart muscle.

Symptoms of heart disease, which can be a warning of an impending heart attack, are when ordinary physical activity causes you to experience:

  • Undue fatigue.
  • Palpitations which are the sensation that your heart is skipping a beat or ‘racing’, beating too rapidly.
  • Dyspnea which is difficult or labored breathing.
  • Angina pain which is either classified as stable (chest pain with exertion only) or unstable (chest pain even at rest known as ‘acute coronary syndrome’).

Heart Attack!

Most heart attacks start slowly with mild pain or discomfort.

The signs that can mean a heart attack may be happening are:

  • Chest discomfort or pain described as crushing, squeezing, burning pain or pressure, fullness or a feeling of an elephant on your chest.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body such as the neck, one or both arms, the neck and jaw or upper back.
  • Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  • Other signs like nausea, heartburn or indigestion, sweating or clammy feeling, or dizziness, lightheadedness or even fainting.

Women are more likely than men to present with ‘atypical’ chest pain meaning symptoms other than chest pain. They can present with some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, back, neck or jaw pain.

Learn these signs as the key to survival is to get help fast. Even if your not sure it’s a heart attack, call 9-1-1. Minutes matter and fast action can save lives….maybe your own!