Women with Heart Disease are Often Missed

The American Heart Association points out that in 2007 one in thirty deaths in women were from breast cancer and one in three were from heart disease. Two thirds of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms. Those who do have symptoms are more likely to have shortness of breath or pain in the back or jaw than the typical sub sternal chest pain that men have. Obesity, even borderline hypertension or diabetes, and pregnancy complications can increase the risk. We suggest several tests that can detect vascular problems: Cardio Risk to detect early plaque in the carotid arteries, an ultrafast CT scan for calcium scores, and a heart rate variability test to look for micro vascular disease. If in doubt, chelation therapy might be a life-saving treatment. See the Associated Press article in the Toledo Blade(click here), July 6, 2011, Section A, p.3.