The many facets of women & heart disease: Going beyond stats & discussing alternative, non-invasive treatment

Starting the Foundation’s 2018 Outreach Efforts with Cardiovascular Disease! 

For those of us who are avid followers of the Howell Foundation, we know that, during heart and health month, the first luncheon of the year will host the latest research efforts on heart disease.

And if I may, a reminder of women and research:  If there is an example that specifically addresses the differences between men and women from a research perspective, it is heart disease; making the case for women's health research even clearer!  However, a survey conducted by Harvard Health brings light to the efforts that are still needed to continue bringing awareness of the differences between men and women, and heart disease.  Did you know that, although heart disease IS recognized as the leading cause of death amongst women, being diagnosed with breast cancer was listed as more of a concern to them than the risks of heart disease? With that interesting tidbit of information, a yearly reminder of heart health statistics and risk factors in women can be found here.

But going beyond the differences in risk factors and diagnosis of heart disease in women, surgery and treatment brings a new chapter in the awareness campaign of women and heart disease.  Citing the article from Harvard Health: “Women have smaller and lighter coronary arteries than men do. This makes angiography, angioplasty, and coronary bypass surgery more difficult to do, thereby reducing a woman's chance of receiving a proper diagnosis and having a good outcome. Women tend to have more complications following surgery. And they're twice as likely to continue having symptoms several years after coronary angioplasty. (They're usually older than men and have more chronic conditions at the time of their first coronary event.)  Women's responses to standard exercise stress tests are also different from men's, so it's difficult to interpret the results. Fortunately, these problems are diminishing thanks to advances in technology and better understanding of heart disease in women”.

At this point, you probably know the stats. You've memorized the risk factors. But do you know about the latest advances in medical and surgical treatment of heart disease?

This year, we are honored to have Dr. Anthony DeMaria, who will be addressing just that.  He is the Judith and Jack White Chair in Cardiology and founding director of the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center at UCSD.  He specializes in cardiac imaging techniques, particularly echocardiography. For 12 years, Dr. DeMaria served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). An author or co-author of over 700 articles in medical journals, Dr. DeMaria is also listed as one of the Best Heart Doctors in America.  Editor in Chief of Structural Heart: The Journal of the Heart Team, Dr. DeMaria introduces the concept of Structural Heart Disease and the need for a new perspective when diagnosing and treating patients with any form of the condition: "The emergence of structural heart disorders as a prominent part of cardiovascular practice has had the strong effect of fostering collaboration among the various professional disciplines involved in the care of these patients".

Dr. DeMaria is a Diplomate in the American Board of Internal Medicine and is board certified by the Subspecialty Board in Cardiovascular Disease. He is a past President of both the American College of Cardiology and American Society of Echocardiography. He has served as a member of the Subspecialty Board on Cardiovascular Disease of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Chair of the Diagnostic Radiology Study Section of the National Institutes of Health.   He regularly participates in trials involving non-invasive methods to diagnose and treat heart disease.

DeMaria received his medical degree from Rutgers University, New Jersey College of Medicine and completed a medical residency at the United States Public Health Service Hospital in Staten Island, New York and cardiology fellowship training at the University of California, Davis.

"Research and treatments for structural heart disease have grown dramatically in recent years.  For so long, our focus was on atherosclerosis and disease of the blood vessels. Among an aging population, structural heart disease has become significantly more prevalent and critical to treat for healthcare professionals,” he is quoted as saying in the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s announcement of its new publication Structural Heart: The Journal of the Heart Team.  DeMaria serves as the Editor in Chief, and the first publication was launched in March of 2017.

Won't you Join us?

When:   February 9th
Where:  Lomas Santa Fe Country Club 
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Register TODAY!

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About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:

The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is dedicated to making a long term, significant impact on women’s health with the goal of “Keeping the Women we Love Healthy.” It is the premier organization in San Diego focused exclusively on advancing women’s health through research and education. We prepare young scientists for a career in women’s health research through research scholarships,  fund studies specific to “at-risk” and underserved women, and educate the public on the latest research in women's health.

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Summary prepared by Carolyn Northrup for the Doris Howell Foundation with information from the following sources: 

(1) http://www.crf.org/crf/news-and-events/news/news/1871-crf-to-launch-new-journal-focusing-on-structural-heart-disease
(2) https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gender-matters-heart-disease-risk-in-women
(3) http://www.your-heart-health.com/en-US/heart-disease-facts/women.html
(4) http://cardiology.ucsd.edu/faculty/pages/anthony-demaria.aspx

Shutterstock image licensed to Carolyn Northrup.