The Way to Her Heart — Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto Helps Women Learn About Cardiac Risks

By Toni Lepeska lepeska@desotoappealcom

A diagnosis of heart disease was the last thing Maggie Roaten expected after the birth of her twins.

She was in her 20s, and as a critical care nurse, was careful about diet and exercise, but there she was, suffering from weakening of the heart muscle, a postpartum complication.

“I was shocked,” the 30-year-old said Thursday.

Roaten attended the “From Heart to Toe” luncheon and educational event Thursday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto, where more than 1,200 open-heart surgeries have been performed since the first in February 2001.

Roaten also participated in a mini-fashion show at the luncheon and modeled a pair of green crocodile-style, cork-wedge shoes by Viva Spiga and a geometric-pattern handbag with wooden handles by Echo.

The event, attended by about 75 people, was designed to appeal to the fun side of life and to the serious side of heart disease. Unknown to many people, heart disease is the number one killer of women, ahead of breast cancer, which many women mistakenly believe is first.

“Breast cancer and these other things are not the number one cause,” said Dr. Dharmesh Patel, a cardiologist with the Memphis Heart Clinic. “We haven’t done a good job of getting that message out to the community.”

Thursday’s luncheon was designed to get the message out and to give women hope – heart disease can be prevented and treated in a variety of ways.

The risk of heart disease can be lowered by 25 percent by just treating high blood pressure, Patel said. Consumption of fish such as salmon and tuna, abstaining from tobacco products and maintaining a healthy weight also reduces the risk.

Forty percent of the people who have a heart attack don’t make it to the hospital, Patel said, so it’s important to recognize the symptoms early to get help. Women often experience different symptoms than men, Patel said the medical community has learned.

The symptoms women experience include pain in the upper jaw or neck, shortness of breath and flu-like symptoms.

“People know their bodies the best,” Patel said. “If they don’t feel right, and there are other symptoms … that’s important.”

Joann Force, 66, listened to her body. As a woman in her early 50s, she was used to taking the stairs to her office with such ease that “sometimes I’d take two steps at a time.”

Then she realized she was slowing down, and moving from step to step was becoming a chore. She went to a doctor, who learned of a family history of heart disease and sent Force to a cardiologist.

He tested her and found blockages in her heart. She underwent a double bypass the next day. In 1998, she underwent a quadruple bypass.

Thursday, she modeled a pair of satin and rhinestone evening shoes designed by Touch Ups and a La Regali satin evening bag with rhinestone enclosure.

– Toni Lepeska: (901) 333-2015

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Know the signs

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, but the signs are often different from what men experience.

Women should look for:

Pain in the upper jaw or neck.

Shortness of breath.

Flu-like symptoms.