The Iola Register: Focus On Women’s Heart Health

For decades, heart disease was widely viewed as a man’s disease. That misconception lingered until the early 2000s, when research found that heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined.

With February designated as National Heart Month, Dr. Tracy Stevens, a cardiologist and medical director at Saint Luke’s Muriel I. Kauffman Women’s Heart Center, sat down with the Iola Register to share heart disease risk factors and awareness.

Dr. Stevens explains why it is critical to understand the unique risk factors, symptoms, and conditions women face when it comes to heart disease.

Additionally, she highlights lifestyle choices and preventative care strategies that cam help prevent heart disease or catch it early. One key tip she shares is monitoring your blood pressure.

“We often make the mistake of thinking that if we feel well, our blood pressure must be fine,” Stevens said. “It is the silent killer and monitoring it is the single most important action you can take to protect your heart. Heart disease does not discriminate – it can affect all women.”

Read the entire article by The Iola Register here: The Iola Register: Focus On Women’s Heart Health.