Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

February 3, 2016

UConn cardiologists advise heart awareness for women

UConn cardiologists Drs. Anjanette Ferris, Agnes Kim, and Joyce Meng are pushing women to start taking action to prevent the development of heart disease and to maintain their overall heart health. Their advice comes with February being American Heart Month.

“Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women in our country,” says Ferris, assistant professor of medicine at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiovascular Center at UConn Health. She said there have been gains in raising awareness, but more than 33 percent of females will be affected by cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of heart disease is still too high, and more needs to be done to prevent it.”

Their top advice is for women to recognize the warning signs. The doctors said they include:

  • shortness of breath,
  • unusual chest pressure,
  • abdominal discomfort,
  • heartburn,
  • jaw pain,
  • neck pain,
  • arm or shoulder pain,
  • fatigue,
  • dizziness, and,
  • nausea.

They also recommend cutting salt and sugar. Research shows sugar is linked to obesity, which can lead to the development of heart disease. Higher salt intake is associated with high blood pressure or hypertension, one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Sign up for Enews

0 Comments

Order a PDF