Women are at the heart of Rush-Copley health effort

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Michele Christensen was only 37 and had just delivered a healthy baby boy when the unthinkable happened.

Home only three days with her son, she was struck with a sudden shortness of breath, crushing pains in her stomach and a numb left arm. The young mother was shocked when doctors told her she was experiencing a heart attack.

Christensen, now the mother of three, decided to share her experience with others to raise awareness of heart disease in women and to urge women to take better care of themselves, “so they can take care of others they love.”

The Rush-Copley Heart and Vascular Institute wants to make sure women know exactly how to take care of themselves and be more aware of issues with heart disease.

The 75 women who attended the “Listen to Your Heart” symposium sponsored by Aurora’s Rush-Copley Medical Center learned ways to change their lifestyles so that they don’t become part of the rising number of women suffering from heart disease.

Dr. Santosh Gill said the number is shocking.

“Just last year, the incidents of congestive heart failure among women in the U.S. were more than all the types of cancer together,” Gill said.

Women must take charge

Risk factors include a woman’s age, family history, smoking, weight, physical activity, cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension.

“We can cure cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension,” Gill said.

But the smoking, weight, physical activity and stress are factors women can improve on their own.

Dr. Marla Mendelson said congestive heart failure accounts for one preventable death a minute in the U.S.

“It scares me to death that in our kids we are finding cholesterol plaques in 50 percent of them,” she said. “The babies born in the last year will live a shorter lifetime than their parents.”

The forum stressed the importance of women seeing their doctors regularly, taking their prescribed medications, including basic healthy foods in their diets, and exercising.

Dr. Annabelle Volgman said that women must tell their physicians about all the drugs they are taking, including supplements.

“The vitamins in food is good for you; the supplements could be causing damage. Be sure to let your doctor know,” she said.

Living for future

Michelle Christensen is now living a healthy life, paying more attention to her diet and taking her medications religiously. But she was not overweight and felt she exercised and ate healthy foods when she was stricken by the heart attack.

Doctors found she had a 90 percent blockage in her arteries, and surgery included the insertion of three stints.

Now, she said, she will never forget to put her health at the top of her priority list — “That is so we can take care of others that we love.”

For information on other health programs and educational opportunities, visit the hospital’s website, www.rushcopley.com.