INTRO AND THEN WE’LL GET GOING AND WE START IN ABOUT A MINUTE. 30. OK? THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
WELCOME BACK. AT SOME POINT,
YOU HEARD THAT HEART DISEASE IS
THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN
THE UNITED STATES. BUT DO YOU
KNOW WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS?
>> SO WE’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON
BECAUSE FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL
HEART MONTH AT THE TIME TO MAKE
SURE YOU’RE PAYING ATTENTION TO
YOUR OWN HEART HEALTH AND
PERHAPS SOME SIGNS THAT IT’S
TIME TO GET THINGS CHECKED OUT.
TO TALK ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE
DOCTOR DON HEWITT, CARDIAC
SURGEON AT UT HEALTH, SAN
ANTONIO. JOINING US FOR TODAY’S
KSAT Q AND A DOCTOR. HE WE
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS
EVENING. AND LET’S START WITH
THAT VERY QUESTION. HEART
DISEASE. WHEN WE SAY THAT, WHAT
EXACTLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
IT’S A REALLY IMPORTANT
QUESTION. AS YOU MENTIONED,
HEART DISEASE IS THE NUMBER ONE
CAUSE OF DEATH. AND THAT’S TRUE
FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN IN THE
UNITED STATES AND MANY OTHER
COUNTRIES.
>> WE SAY HEART DISEASE,
RUSSIAN DIFFERENT TO A GROUP OF
CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT THE
STRUCTURE WHERE THE FUNCTION OF
THE HEART, THE MOST COMMON TYPE
OF HEART DISEASE AS CORONARY
ARTERY DISEASE. AND THAT IS
WHAT CAUSES HEART ATTACKS.
THAT’S THE BUILDUP OF PLAQUE OR
CHOLESTEROL INSIDE THE ARTERIES
TO THE HEART MUSCLE DOES NOT
GET ENOUGH BLOOD FLOW. SOME
OTHER FORMS OF HEART DISEASE
INCLUDE PROBLEMS WITH HEART
RHYTHM PROBLEMS, WITH THE
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE
HEART, ESPECIALLY THE HEART
VALVES. AND WHEN THE MUSCLE
GETS, WE CAN’T PUMP AS WELL.
AND THAT LEADS TO SOMETHING
CALLED HEART FAILURE.
>> CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW HEART
DISEASE FIELDS BECAUSE WE CAN
THE DIFFERENT WARNING SIGNS,
BUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
WATCHING THIS, MAYBE TO EXPLAIN
IT TO THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY,
HOW SHE DIDN’T FEEL IT. IS IT
BEING SHORT OF BREATH OFTEN?
>> YES, THAT’S A COMMON ONE.
SO WE CAN THINK OF THE WARNING
SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK WHICH
MOST PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH,
YOU KNOW, A CRUSHING CHEST
PAIN, ESPECIALLY ON THE LEFT
SOME MORE SUBTLE SIGNS OF HEART
ATTACK OR A PAIN AND DIFFERENT
AREAS SUCH AS THE UPPER BACK,
THE ABDOMEN, THE NECK OR THE
BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE SIGNS OF
A SHORTNESS OF BREATH, AS YOU
STATED, FEELING MORE TIRED THAN
USUAL NAUSEA. LIGHTHEADEDNESS
WERE HARPER, AND THAT JUST
DOESN’T GO AWAY. ARE ALSO SIGNS
OF A HEART ATTACK. BUT WITH
MORE CHRONIC HEART CONDITIONS
THAT ARE NOT A HEART ATTACK.
SYMPTOMS INCLUDE FEELING SHORT
OF BREATH OR FATIGUE. WHEN
YOU’RE DOING YOUR USUAL OR
LIGHT GAINING WATERWAY OR
HAVING SWELLING IN THE ANKLES
OR LAKES.
>> BUT NOW WITH THE FIRST SET
OF SYMPTOMS THAT YOU JUST
MENTIONED, IT’S HARD TO
DIFFERENTIATE. WHAT’S THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND
OTHER THINGS LIKE YOU JUST
MENTIONED, A JOB PAID OR MAYBE
UPPER BACK PAIN? I MEAN, HOW
CAN PEOPLE SAY, OK, THIS IS
DIFFERENT. I NEED TO GO TO THE
DOCTOR.
>> WELL, SOMETIMES IT’S REALLY,
YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT TO
ASCERTAIN. I WOULD SAY IF IT
COMES ON WHEN YOU’RE DOING
SOMETHING OR YOU’RE IN A
STRESSFUL SITUATION THAT MAY BE
MORE LIKELY TO BE, YOU KNOW, A
HEART ATTACK IF YOU HAVEN’T HAD
ANY TRAUMA OR, YOU KNOW, YOU
KNOW, CAUSE A CRICK IN YOUR
NECK AND THAT MAY BE MORE
LIKELY TO BE A HEART ATTACK.
AND AGAIN, HARPER, THAT DOESN’T
GO A TARP OR MEDICATION.
I REALLY DO SEE THAT QUITE
COMMONLY HERE AND PEOPLE THINK
IT’S HARBORING AND THEN THEY
SORT OF IGNORED. IT TURNS OUT
TO BE A HEART ATTACK. YOU KNOW,
WHEN PEOPLE THINK HEART ISSUES,
THEY MAY THINK OF JUST THAT A
HEART ATTACK, SOMETHING THAT
COMES ON VERY SUDDENLY.
>> BUT SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS
COULD THEY LAST A WHILE?
COULD THEY BE PROLONGED AND NOT
JUST INSTANTANEOUS?
>> YES, WHAT WE OFTEN SEE,
ESPECIALLY A CONDITION CALLED
THE CONDITION CALLED HEART
FAILURE THAT HAD MENTIONED IS
THAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE A GRADUAL
AND MADE SORT OF SLOWLY DEVELOP
OVER TIME. SO THAT PEOPLE DON’T
NOTICE IT REALLY THINK THAT ONE
JUST
GETTING ALL I’M JUST SORT OF
YOU KNOW, I’M JUST I’M JUST
VERY STRESSED OUT ABOUT LIFE,
NOT THAT’S WHAT CAN MAKE IT
CHALLENGING TO TO TO RECOGNIZE.
AND SO I THINK IF YOU’RE HAVING
THOSE SYMPTOMS AND THEY’RE
THEY’RE NOT REALLY KIND OF
GETTING BETTER WITH TIME.
AND WE’VE HELPFUL TO TALK TO
YOUR DOCTOR OR YOU KNOW THAT A
CARDIOLOGIST TO TALK ABOUT
THESE THINGS AND FIND OUT IF
YOU HAVE MARK SAENZ BECAUSE
MUCH OF IT CAN BE REVERSIBLE
WERE WELL TREATED WITH WATER
MEDICATIONS AND LIFESTYLE
CHANGES.
>> HOW FAR ALONG WITH THE
SYMPTOMS DO YOU HAVE TO BE IN
ORDER TO FOR YOUR DOCTOR TO RUN
A TEST IN ORDER FOR THE DOCTOR
TO DETACH THAT SOMETHING IS
HAPPENING WITH YOUR HEART.
>> WELL, YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO
BE VERY FAR ALONG WITH THE
SYMPTOMS. WE KNOW, AS I
MENTIONED, IT’S IT’S VERY
COMMON IN MEN AND WOMEN, ONE IN
3 MEN AND ONE IN 4 WOMEN WILL
DEVELOP CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
IN THEIR LIFETIME. SO CATCHING
IT EARLY BEFORE YOU DEVELOP
SYMPTOMS IS ACTUALLY VERY
IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU CAN
PREVENT PERMANENT DAMAGE OR
LONG TERM DAMAGE TO YOUR HEART.
IF YOU CATCH THESE THINGS
EARLIER, PEOPLE WHO ARE
PARTICULARLY AT RISK ARE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE DIABETES, PEOPLE OF
STRONG FAMILY, HISTORY OF HEART
DISEASE, ESPECIALLY FAMILY
MEMBERS THAT HAVE HAD IT AT A
YOUNG TOBACCO USE AND THEN THEY
REALLY IMPORTANT RISK FACTORS
ARE THOSE THAT WE CAN CHANGE
HEART A HEART HEALTHY DIET IS
ONE THAT IS LOW IN FAT AND
SUGARY FOODS AND THEN A
SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, YOU KNOW,
ESPECIALLY WITH COVID WHEN
EVERYBODY GOT VERY SEDENTARY
AND WE’RE STARTING TO SEE
YOUNGER AND YOUNGER PEOPLE
DEVELOP HEART DISEASE BECAUSE
YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING
OUT AND EXERCISING AS MUCH TO
DO MORE ACTIVITY SUCH AS THE
GAMES OR SOCIAL MEDIA.
WHAT ABOUT MEN VERSUS WOMEN?
DON’T OFTEN HEARD THAT. A LOT
OF TIMES WOMEN ARE GUILTY OF
IGNORING SIGNS OF AN ISSUE IN
SAYING IT’S NOTHING.
>> I HAVE OTHER THINGS TO WORRY
ABOUT AND THAT LEAD TO, YOU
KNOW, MORE SIGNIFICANT HEART
IMPACTS DOWN THE ROAD IS THE
REAL DIFFERENCE IN WHAT YOU
SEE MEN VERSUS WOMEN.
>> YES, WE DO SEE A
HISTORICALLY, WOMEN HAVE
PRESENTED LATER IN LIFE AND
WE BELIEVE THAT’S BECAUSE
THERE’S A PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF
ESTROGEN. SO AFTER MENOPAUSE,
THEN THE DISEASE STARTS TO KICK
IN THIS SYMPTOMS THAT WOMEN ARE
ALSO MORE SUBTLE AND THAT MAY
LEAD TO THE UNDER DIAGNOSIS
AND UNDER RECOGNITION. WOMEN
ARE MORE PRONE TO HAVE PAINTED
A DIFFERENT AREA THAN THE CHEST
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE
BACK IN THE UPPER ABDOMEN.
AS I THERE WERE PRONE TO HAVE
SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND THE
TEAM RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW,
THE STRONG TESTING. WE ARE
SEEING IT IN YOUNGER AND
YOUNGER WOMEN BECAUSE OF THOSE
FACTORS THAT I HAD MENTIONED,
THE
LIFESTYLE FACTORS.
>> NOW, BEFORE WE GO, DO YOU
HAVE A MESSAGE ARE CAN YOU
SHARE A MESSAGE WITH THE PEOPLE
OF SAN ANTONIO WHO ARE WATCHING
THIS AS FAR AS WHAT YOU’VE
SEEN?
>> SURE, I THINK THE MOST
IMPORTANT MESSAGE IS EVEN
THOUGH IT’S A SERIOUS THING,
IT’S NOT SOMETHING TO BE AFRAID
OF. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GREAT
MEDICAL CARE HERE IN SAN
ANTONIO YOU KNOW, BEING AFRAID
AND LEADING TO DELAYS IN CARE.
SOMETIMES IT IS MUCH MORE
HARMFUL THAN, YOU KNOW, SEEKING
CARE EARLY, RECOGNIZING THE
SIGNS AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING
CHECKED OUT WITH YOUR PRIMARY
CARE DOCTOR AND WITH MODERN
MEDICINE. BUT IT WASN’T, AS
I MENTIONED AND LIFESTYLE
CHANGES, PEOPLE CAN REALLY KIND
OF REVERSED. DISEASES ARE SET
AND IT’S BETTER TO KNOW AND TO
NOT KNOW.
DOCTOR DON HEWITT WITH UT
HEALTH SAN ANTONIO, THANKS FOR