‘Heart disease kills more people’

Women are more likely than men to die from their first heart attack. They also are more likely to have poor results from bypass surgery, and more likely to have heart failure.

Dr. Agnieszka Silbert, a cardiologist on the medical staff at Provena Saint Joseph and Sherman hospitals in Elgin, said that’s because they also were more likely to ignore the early warning signs.

“They’re less likely to just jump to the doctors, so the [heart] disease is more progressed,” she said.

To raise awareness, Friday is National Wear Red Day. The Go Red for Women campaign encourages everyone to wear red clothing, buttons or scarves to spur conversations about heart disease, which kills one in three American women.

“We’re looking at breast cancer because we say, ‘That’s a woman’s disease,’ or cervical cancer,” said Debra Quackenbush, McHenry County Health Department spokeswoman. “Heart disease is killing more people.”

Although heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, Friday’s awareness day is geared toward women.

“When most people think of having a heart attack, they naturally think of an older man,” said Kimberly Gardner, a Chicago-based spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. “We just want people to know that regardless of your age and regardless of your gender, it’s important.”

The latest statistics show that more than 13,000 women in Illinois died from heart disease in 2006, according to information from the Illinois Department of Health.

“A lot of us think, ‘Well I don’t have any symptoms,’ ” Quackenbush said. “Well, unfortunately with heart disease, you’re probably not going to have any symptoms.”

Women can prevent heart disease by being aware of their family history and getting screenings for cholesterol, body mass index, and blood pressure.

“We need to nag our mothers and our sisters and our friends and say, ‘You know what, go and do your once a year screening,’ ” Quackenbush said.

Silbert said women also shouldn’t ignore what might seem minor, such as fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath or a nagging sensation in the arm or the neck.

“If something sounds funny and you feel that you’re going to be ridiculed, it’s better to be checked than to be sorry,” she said. “It’s better to learn that it was nothing versus miss the big heart attack.”

Silbert said she’s seen heart attacks in women as young as 28.

“Pretty much after you enter puberty it’s all fair,” she said. “You can’t really ignore the symptoms by thinking, ‘I’m 37, so I should be fine.’ ”

The county health department offers cardiovascular screenings on specified days for $35, but people need to call 815-334-4510 for an appointment, Quackenbush said.

“I realize with the economy all of us are trying to be as fiscally responsible as possible, but treatment is far most costly,” she said.

Women also can do an online risk assessment for heart disease by visiting www.goredforwomen.com, Quackenbush said.

“It’s kind of that silent killer, and people are just not looking at that,” she said. “Women who take care of their families first and themselves last ... need to say, ‘You know what, people are counting on me.’ ”