GoRedforWomen

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It is February again!! The American Heart and Go Red for Women Month!!

Lina Ya'qoub, MD

 

It is February again of a new year of hope and progress!! Since it is the “The American Heart and Go Red for Women Month”, I would like to talk about the American Heart Association (AHA) GO RED initiative and discuss why heart disease in women is unique, urging my colleagues across the globe to work diligently to ensure optimal health and heart care for everyone, irrespective of their sex or gender.

 

What is the GO RED initiative and what does it mean?

The GO RED for Women initiative was launched in 2004 by the AHA with the aim to end heart disease and stroke in women worldwide; by increasing awareness of these diseases in women and removing barriers women face to achieve a healthy life.

Here is what GO RED means:

  • G: GET YOUR NUMBERS

Check your blood pressure and cholesterol level regularly, and early in life if there is a strong family history of heart disease or hypertension.

  • O: OWN YOUR LIFESTYLE

Encourage healthy lifestyle by stop smoking, losing weight, exercising, and eating healthy.

  • R: REALIZE YOUR RISK

Know your risk; heart disease is responsible for 1 in every 5 female deaths [1].

  • E: EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY

Educate your family members and make healthy food choices for you and your family.

  • D: DON’T BE SILENT

Spread the knowledge that heart disease is No. 1 killer in women [1]. It is also the No. 1 killer of pregnant women per Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data [2].

Why is heart disease unique in women?

Not only women tend to have atypical symptoms when they present with heart attacks, but also various diseases might behave differently in women potentially leading to differences in outcomes; highlighting the importance of vigilant clinicians in these cases. Women tend to have atypical symptoms when they present with heart attacks; so they tend to have nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or atypical chest pain, in contrast to the typical exertional chest pain. Moreover, women have differences in their risk factor profile; a recent study has shown that women tend to have a different blood pressure trajectory; with blood pressure elevation starting as early as the third decade of life, and steeper increments of blood pressure over a lifetime compared to men [3]. In addition to the risk factors, there are certain heart conditions that mainly affect women, including spontaneous coronary artery dissections, which is one of the major causes of heart attacks especially in young and pregnant women [3], eclampsia/pre-eclampsia, and peripartum cardiomyopathy, which still carry significant morbidity and mortality [2].

The medical community is still learning about these diseases and the exact mechanism of each condition; urging the need for more research in this area, launching more initiatives to support these projects, similar to the “Research Goes Red” initiative by the AHA, and expanding related sub-specialties like “cardio-obstetrics”, which is a niche subspecialty focused on the care of pregnant women with heart disease.

Although February is the “American Heart and Go Red for Women Month”, we should celebrate women’s heart health every single day by doing our best in our daily clinical practice, increasing awareness of heart disease and risk factors among women, and by working relentlessly to understand the knowledge gaps we have in order to provide better and optimal care for all of our patients.

I would like to say a special thank you to my mom, Laila Abdullah, and my sisters, Rawan, Razan, and Raghad, for their help on this blog and for their continued support.

 

REFERENCES

[1] Women and Heart Disease: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/women.htm

[2] Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/pregnancy-mortality-surveillancesystem.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Freproductivehealth%2Fmaternalinfanthealth%2Fpregnancy-mortality-surveillance-system.htm

[3] Ji H, Kim A, Ebinger JE, Niiranen TJ, Claggett BL, Bairey Merz CN, Cheng S. Sex Differences in Blood Pressure Trajectories Over the Life Course. JAMA Cardiol. 2020 Mar 1;5(3):19-26. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.5306. Erratum in: JAMA Cardiol. 2020 Mar 1;5(3):364. PMID: 31940010; PMCID: PMC6990675.

[4] Hayes SN, Kim ESH, Saw J, Adlam D, Arslanian-Engoren C, Economy KE, Ganesh SK, Gulati R, Lindsay ME, Mieres JH, Naderi S, Shah S, Thaler DE, Tweet MS, Wood MJ; American Heart Association Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine; and Stroke Council. Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: Current State of the Science: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018 May 8;137(19):e523-e557. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000564. Epub 2018 Feb 22. PMID: 29472380; PMCID: PMC5957087.

“The views, opinions and positions expressed within this blog are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the American Heart Association. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them. The Early Career Voice blog is not intended to provide medical advice or treatment. Only your healthcare provider can provide that. The American Heart Association recommends that you consult your healthcare provider regarding your personal health matters. If you think you are having a heart attack, stroke or another emergency, please call 911 immediately.”

 
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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Kylia Williams

This year’s AHA Scientific Sessions has a strong focus on racial and gender diversity and equity, as well as creating inclusive environments in science and medicine. It is great to see that there are increasingly more opportunities opened up to people who are traditionally underrepresented, but there are still challenges that are faced when we get there. One discussion that really interested me focused on one of those challenges: imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is an internal struggle. It is the inability to recognize your own success; the feeling that you don’t belong somewhere and will soon be outed as a fraud. As a Black woman and the youngest person in my PhD cohort, it is a feeling that I have felt too many times to count. Imposter syndrome can cause you to self-sabotage by not applying to opportunities, missing deadlines, or avoiding networking because you feel that you do not belong in that space. The panelists today – Dr. Toniya Singh, Dr. Gina Lundberg, Dr. Aaysha Cader, Dr. Ambreen Mohamed, Dr. Aamisha Gupta, Dr. Janet Han, and Dr. Nasrien Ibrahim – discussed the ways in which we can overcome imposter syndrome and reach our fullest potential.

When feelings of inadequacy first appear, it is important to recognize that feelings are not fact. Dr. Gupta stresses defining the facts by listing your accomplishments and qualifications. Reframe your thoughts to center everything you contribute instead of the credit you think you should get. Women, in particular, tend to underestimate themselves, so it is helpful to have a diverse circle of friends and allies that can be honest with you, encourage you, and advocate for you to others. If you have the means, having a career coach can help you to focus on your goals while providing honest and objective feedback on strengths and weaknesses. It is an invaluable investment in yourself. Imposter syndrome can also make public speaking difficult. Dr. Lundberg suggests focusing on presenting for one specific person instead of a large audience. Remind yourself that you are the expert here and that everyone who is watching wants you to be yourself and to succeed.

Regular self-reflection can help quickly overcome imposter syndrome in the future. Dr. Cader emphasizes aligning your behaviors with your values so there is no dissonance between what you are doing and what you want. Finding intrinsic value in the things that you do can make it easier to recognize your achievements. When you put time into doing what you love, you can’t help but dream big. This panel reminded me that imposter syndrome is something many people go through and that you can experience it and still be successful. Talking about your experiences can help everyone overcome this challenge so that when opportunities arise, we don’t hesitate to take them.

 

“The views, opinions and positions expressed within this blog are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the American Heart Association. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them. The Early Career Voice blog is not intended to provide medical advice or treatment. Only your healthcare provider can provide that. The American Heart Association recommends that you consult your healthcare provider regarding your personal health matters. If you think you are having a heart attack, stroke or another emergency, please call 911 immediately.”