Meet the Experts

Dr. Lauren Frost

Cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

Videos

Heart Disease And Pregnancy

Dr. Lauren Frost, Cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, explains women are supposed to conceive when theyâ€™re younger, because their hearts are healthier and it is assumed to be fine to carry a baby. Women's body responds with increase in heart rate for painful stimulus during labor, the doctor explains. If someone has valve disease or is born with congenital heart disease, she has a tough time and doctors elect to do a C-section.

Myths About Heart Disease In Women

Most women will die of some sort of cardiovascular disease, affirms Dr. Lauren Frost, Cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. She also says heart disease can occur at any age, however certain types happen before menopause. The doctor adds there are similarities between heart disease in women and men, but women are not most likely to have obstruction of coronary disease when they present the chest pain. If there is a genetic predisposition women will develop cardiovascular disease, she explains.

Surprising Facts About Heart Disease In Women

Women have very similar risk factors for cardiovascular disease as men, says Dr. Lauren Frost, Cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, who adds It's important to educate women about that. The specialist explains some surprising factors about heart disease in women such as: heart disease is the first cause of death in women, over 42 million women are living with some form of heart disease and over 213 thousand women die annually from heart attacks, five times more than breast cancer, among others.

Broken Heart Syndrome: Causes And Symptoms

Takotsubo or stress cardiomyopathy are the technical terms for broken heart syndrome, explains Dr. Lauren Frost, Cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. She describes this is a very unique condition in which a woman, always postmenopausal, has a very traumatic event such as car accident or dead of a relative, so she can present a heart attack. However, the specialist affirms if a broken heart is diagnosed and treated, women can survive the acute episode without having anything major. The prognosis is excellent with good medical care. It's a disease more prevalent in women.

Heart Attack: Symptoms In Women

Chest discomfort pain, upper body discomfort in arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, cold sweats, feelings of anxiety, fatigue or weakness are some of the heart attack warning signs in women. Dr. Lauren Frost, Cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, says there are a lot of similarities with men about how people present with heart attacks. She affirms chest pain is a really common symptom of heart attacks even in women and if anyone experiences those signs, she advises calling 9-1-1 and going to the ER as quickly as possible.

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