Executive Health: Part II

September 23, 2007--Internationally renowned cardiologist Christopher J.W.B. Leggett, director of cardiology for Medical Associates of North Georgia in Canton, Georgia suggests individuals concentrate on risk management and understanding how certain conditions impact health. "For instance, 80% of diabetics die of heart attacks; and obesity is the No. 1 cause of type 2 diabetes in our country. "If you've got any of those risk factors, you need to be vigilant about controlling each of the problems independently," insists Leggett. "That's what will lower your risk."

Know the signs
The body sends a number of signals to let you know it's in trouble. One of the most common symptoms of heart disease is a transient ischemic attack, or mini-stroke. "This occurs when the blood vessels in the brain develop an ulcer caused by high cholesterol. Plaque forms around the crater, which eventually breaks off and makes its way through the bloodstream toward the brain," explains Donna Mendes, M.D., chief of vascular surgery at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City, clinical professor of surgery at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, and the first African American female to become board certified in the specialty of peripheral vascular surgery. "The impacted portion of the brain will suddenly experience decreased blood flow, resulting in a TIA." The part of the body controlled by that portion of the brain becomes impaired, lasting from a few minutes to 24 hours. Other indicators include loss of sensation on one side of the body; loss of vision or motor function; or intermittent pain in the calf after walking; the pain results from decreased oxygen and blood flow.

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Executive Health: Part 1

In the case of an impending heart attack, women present much milder and wider symptoms than men. These symptoms are often missed, misdiagnosed, or undertreated by both primary physicians and cardiologists. According to Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, M.D., head of the Cardiovascular Medicine Scientific Research Group at the Bethesda, Maryland-based National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, symptoms include fatigue; shortness of breath; feelings of indigestion and ill health; palpitations; neck, shoulder, and upper back pain; nausea; vomiting; sweating; and lightheadedness.

After weeks of persistent breathlessness and a vague sense of physical unease, Joan Connell, then 42, an accounting professional at Ziff Davis Publishing, went to the emergency room convinced she was having a heart attack. Despite being an overweight smoker who had been physically inactive for years, she was sent home. A week later she returned and was rushed into emergency bypass surgery that revealed four blocked arteries.

Symptoms in men include angina (chest pain), pressure or discomfort in the chest, or a tingling sensation in the arm or on one side of the body. Women, however, experience a broader constellation of symptoms over a prolonged period of time.