>>
>> IT'S
>> IT'S A
>> IT'S A THING HERE. >>> YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED A LOT
OF PEOPLE WEARING RED TODAY.
IT IS NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY.
WE TEND TO NOT TALK TOO MUCH
ABOUT NATIONAL DAYS BUT THIS
ONE HAS A SERIOUS MESSAGE.
HEART DISEASE IS THE NUMBER 1
KILLER AMONG WOMEN.
TODAY A MINNESOTA WOMAN SHARED
HER STORY DURING THE THIRD HOUR
OF THE TODAY SHOW TO HELP RAISE
AWARENESS.
AWARENESS. >> Reporter: SHELDON ARE A GIFT
AND FOR THIS MOM, EVERY DAY IS
REOPENING.
REOPENING. >> I'M TAKING THAT TIME TO
REPRIORITIZE MY LIFE AND WHAT I
THINK IS IMPORTANT.
>> Reporter: THE SHIFT CAME FOR
KRISTIN WHEN HER FAMILY STARTED
GROWING IN 2014.
SHE SAID AFTER THE BIRTH OF HER
DAUGHTER SOMETHING FELT
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. >> I FELT TIGHTNESS IN MY CHEST
AND FATIGUE AND NAUSEOUS.
RIGHT AWAY THEY PUT ME ON AN
EKG AND IT TURNS OUT I WAS IN A
FIT.
FIT.
FIT. >>
FIT. >> Reporter: SIX DAYS LATER SHE
RETURNED TO THE DOCTOR.
>> THEY SAID YOU ARE HAVING A
HEART ATTACK AND WE NEED TO
TRANSFER YOU TO ABBOTT.
I HAVE SPONTANEOUS CORONARY
ARTERY DISSECTION.
ARTERY DISSECTION. YOU GET TEARS IN YOUR ARTERIES
THAT CAUSE LOCKETS OF BLOOD
FLOW.
FLOW.
FLOW. >>
FLOW. >> Reporter: DOCTORS SAY IT IS
THE NUMBER 1 CAUSE OF HEART
ATTACK AMONG YOUNGER WOMEN.
BY AGE 32 KRISTIN SURVIVED TWO
HEART ATTACKS.
HEART ATTACKS. >> I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHY
THIS AFFLICTS YOUNGER WOMEN AND
WHY THEIR CORONARY ARTERIES ARE
SO FRAGILE SO WE CAN FIND A WAY
TO DIAGNOSE IT BEFORE IT
HAPPENS AND TO TREAT THAT
DOESN'T HAPPEN.
DOESN'T HAPPEN. >> Reporter: DOCTOR SCOTT IS
KRISTIN'S DOCTOR AND THE CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER AT THE
MINNEAPOLIS HEART INSTITUTE
FOUNDATION.
FOUNDATION. A SCAD RESEARCH LEADER.
>> ANY TIME A WOMAN HAS A HEART
ATTACK UNDER THE AGE OF 65 MY
ANTENNA GOES OFF THAT IT COULD
BE SCAD.
BE SCAD.
BE SCAD. >> Reporter: WHAT SHOULD WE
LOOK OUT FOR?
>> USUALLY IT CAUSES SOME KIND
OF CHEST DISCOMFORT.
I USE THE WORD DISCOMFORT
BECAUSE MANY OF MY PATIENTS SAY
IT WASN'T PAINFUL, JUST INTENSE
PRESSURE OR DISCOMFORT.
MANY TIMES IN THE LEFT ARM,
SOMETIMES IN THE RIGHT ARM.
SHORTNESS OF BREATH, PHYSICAL
STRESS. SOME OF MY PATIENTS
HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AT THE
TIME OF COMPLETING A TRIATHLON
OR WORKING OUT EXTENSIVELY BY
LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS.
SOME OF THEM OCCUR AT THE TIME
OF PREGNANCY.
OF PREGNANCY. FOR OTHERS IT IS INTENSE
EMOTIONAL STRESS.
EMOTIONAL STRESS. SUCH AS THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE
OR ANGER.
OR ANGER.
OR ANGER. >> Reporter: TO ELIMINATE
STRESS, KRISTIN STOPPED WORKING
HER FULL-TIME JOB.
NOW SHE SPENDS HER TIME
ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN'S HEART
HEALTH.
HEALTH.
HEALTH. >> I LOOK LIKE AN AVERAGE
PERSON THAT I DIDN'T GO THROUGH
A MAJOR SURGERY OR HAVE TWO
HEART ATTACKS.
HEART ATTACKS. THE TWO LITTLE ONES KEEP ME IN
CHECK TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT
STRESSING OUT TOO MUCH BECAUSE
I WANT TO BE AROUND FOR THEM
AND SEE THEM GROW UP.
>> Reporter: THE FOUNDATION HAS
ABOUT 200 PATIENTS WHO ALL HAVE
SCAD AND THEY ARE USING THOSE
DIFFERENT CASES TO RESEARCH AND
FIND IMPROVEMENTS.
FIND IMPROVEMENTS. YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING HOW IS
THIS CONDITION TREATED?
THE DOCTOR SAYS MANY TIMES
BLOCKED ARTERIES ARE REPAIRED
BY A STENT.
IT IS A PIECE OF METAL INSIDE
THE CORONARY ARTERY.
HE ALSO SAID THEY DO THIS FOR
PATIENTS WHO ARE IN THEIR 60s,
70s AND 80s.
BUT PATIENT USUALLY IN THEIR
20s OR 30s, THEY DON'T HAVE A
LOT OF RESEARCH.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THAT DEVICE
WILL WORK ON YOUNGER PATIENTS.
SOMETHING ELSE I THOUGHT WAS
INTERESTING, IN THE 60s AND 70s
AND EVEN IN THE 80s RESEARCHERS
FOCUSED ON MEN.
OFTEN TIMES WOMEN WERE ALLOWED
TO PARTICIPATE IN CLINICAL
TRIALS SO THEY WERE APPLYING
THE INFORMATION FROM MEN TO
WOMEN BUT WE ARE DIFFERENT.
>> TOTALLY DIFFERENT BODIES.
> DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS,
DIFFERENT BODIES IN DIFFERENT
WAYS TO BE