SCAD Heart Attack

software · ‎06-08-2016

I apologize if this has been hashed out.

In the plant diet thread that was closed there was a mention of women's arteries being smaller than a man's. Not enough research has been done on women to learn to recognize and properly treat heart problems.

This is from WEBMD

Unlike a more typical heart attack caused by a rupture of plaque in the arteries, a SCAD heart attack starts with a tear in the wall of an otherwise normal artery. The tear tunnels within the wall of the artery, and its effect blocks the artery and blood flow to the heart muscles, leading to a heart attack.

Although SCAD causes a small percentage of heart attacks overall, it’s responsible for 40% of heart attacks in women under the age of 50. And it mostly happens to women -- more than 90% of SCAD patients are female.

“This is an important cause of heart attacks among younger people, and it has really only been in the past 4 or 5 years that our thinking on it has changed. For the past 100 years, we had been missing it,” says Sharonne N. Hayes, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota -- a renowned SCAD researcher.

Many researchers have been rushing to learn more about SCAD and are starting to better understand how it works and how to treat it. The American Heart Association released the first scientific statement about the condition in February. The 35-page document reviews relevant research and says, among other things, that conservative treatment is generally best. There isn’t yet enough high-quality evidence on the condition to write guidelines for treatment.

Still, Hayes says the statement is badly needed to make people aware of it and improve diagnosis rates. SCAD patients are generally healthy and don’t have or do the usual things that can lead to heart attacks -- like smoking, diabetes, or being overweight -- so SCAD is often misdiagnosed and may lead to treatment that can cause more artery damage.

“SCAD is happening to a group of women who appear healthy, are thin, and have no risk factors. So even though they have classic heart attack symptoms, they are often being misdiagnosed,” Hayes says. She says like Shockey, many SCAD patients are sent home from hospitals in the middle of a heart attack that isn’t discovered for days."

You can do more research on this diagnosis, but this tells me what can happen when the medical community doesn't take women's symptoms seriously. If you don't fit the same criteria as a man having a heart attack, you may be misdiagnosed. (older, out of shape, overweight)

software · ‎06-08-2016

I would also like to request to limit posts to heart disease--diagnosis & treatment, not diets.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

Only recently has the medical community begun to recognize that women do not have the same heart attack symptoms as men. This will be great for women as they will start treatment much sooner. Previously , they were often brushed off , esp. by old fashioned doctors, so it wasn't until they had a massive attack they finally were properly treated, and by then the heart muscle was irreparably damaged. Women would present to their doctor with neck pain, shoulder pain , middle of their back pain and no one ever suspected it was heart related.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

Hi @software,

I have not heard the term SCAD before concerning heart attacks, but I am not as current as others here on some heart issues.

I have said on this forum many times in past years, that I never felt that females being checked for heart symptoms, were/are treated the same as a male counterpart. I had read this, and also spoke with many ladies during my many Cardiac Rehab Classes, about this very topic.

My suggestion to the ladies was to demand things from an ER doctor they feel is necessary, to diagnose if their symptoms are from a heart attack. Why many ER doctors did/do this? I have no clue.

Always good learning more about all types of CAD, causes and symptoms. With heart attacks comes what many a Cardiologist will say: "Time is muscle. The longer it takes to treat a heart attack, the more heart muscle lost". Unfortunately, unlike many other human muscles that can be rebuilt and strengthened, the heart is not one of them.

Nice of you to put up this info.

hckynut(john)

software · ‎06-08-2016

Thanks for your input, John

I was shocked by the statistics, if they are correct

A local resident shared her story. Young mother, not feeling real well but brushed it off as stress -- work, kids, etc.

Then the symptoms started, she was diagnosed with GI problems.

When she finally got the pain in her neck & arm, she was properly diagnosed at the ER but at what cost? This was over a month ago, she's still flat on her back, recovering at home

43 years old

@hckynut

Trinity11 · ‎11-16-2014

@software I posted about women having smaller arteries.

Women who are thin, eat healthy and exercise are often over-looked in the ER. Both my heart attacks I was met with a dismissive staff telling me I was too young, thin and looked too healthy on arrival. My cardiac enzymes proved I was having a heart attack. Treatment was delayed as the hospital had no Cath lab and I had to be transferred to one that did. I ended up in heart failure for months with my first heart attack.

My assessment of women and heart disease is that the medical community have a lot of work ahead of them to catch up with how they treat men. My arteries are extremely small making going through the wrist for an angiogram impossible. I ended up with a large hematoma because the first doctor I had kept trying and could not do it skillfully. Thankfully, I found a good doctor since who I believe has saved my life.

i only tell this very personal story to warn other female patients that if you feel something is wrong, don't be shy and ask for help..

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

I had a heart cath and everything looked good, no plaque problems . However, the Dr told my husband, my veins are narrow..

Laura14 · ‎06-09-2014

You're okay @cherry. Veins and arteries are two separate blood carriers.

Based on what @software posted it is the arteries to worry about not veins which is what I've always heard concerning any type of heart attack even "broken heart syndrome" which is about chemical imbalance and not blockage. Even that causes a narrowing of the arteries which precipitates an attack so I wouldn't worry in terms of your heart. Needles maybe but not your ticker.