The Breast Cancer Education Association (BCEA) mission is to educate the community by providing support and information about detection, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The BCEA annual conference brings the community’s best medical and therapeutic breast health experts together for a day of learning on how to live as fully as possible when breast cancer touches your life. In addition, BCEA offers webinars on a variety of breast health topics, such as updates in imaging, reconstruction and survivorship.
Dr. Luis A. Pagan-Carlo, Senior Consulting Cardiologist from the Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, presented in May on Heart Disease and Women. With over 20 years in practice, Dr. Pagan-Carlo feels strongly that women are less aware of the risks of heart disease and he encourages all women to understand their own risk profiles and to reduce those risk factors that can be modified.
While Dr. Pagan-Carlo applauds the significant drop in deaths from heart disease since 1979, heart disease continues to be the number 1 cause of death in the U.S. And it remains the largest killer of women, with 1 in 4 women dying from the disease. One woman dies nearly every 80 seconds from heart disease or stroke. One reason for this may be that the symptoms of a heart attack often are different and more subtle in women, leading to a delay in seeking emergency care. While awareness about heart disease, including its risks and symptoms, has increased among women, it still lags among minorities.
Reviewing the risk factors specific to women, Dr. Pagan-Carlo emphasizes those that are more predictive in women. Diabetes almost doubles the risk of fatal heart disease and smoking is associated with 50% of all cardiac events in women.
The paradigm has shifted in thinking about risk elevation for pre and postmenopausal women. Women should be vigilant at all ages and work to reduce modifiable risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, inactivity and obesity.
Dr. Pagan-Carlo concludes his presentation with risk factor reduction strategies — starting with the need for all women to BE AWARE of their own risk factors and take steps to help assure a healthy heart!
Webinars are recorded and available for viewing online. To learn more about the Breast Cancer Education Association, visit www.BreastCancerEducation.org.
