March 12, 2004

Healthy lives equal healthy hearts

"It is never too late to start taking care of your heart," said Kate Traynor, RN, MSN, (below), program director of the MGH Cardiac Rehabilitation Program and guest speaker at the March 2 Senior HealthWISE seminar "Hearty Matters: Lessons in Caring for the Health of Your Heart."

Seniors from the local community gathered in the Walcott Conference Rooms to learn tips on keeping their hearts healthy as they age. Traynor gave an overview of what is known about heart disease, how to predict risks for the disease and treatments and prevention.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease is the number one killer throughout the United States of both men and women. While heart disease was once thought to be a man's disease, it has been discovered that after menopause women have the same risk as men. The AHA also has developed a campaign "Go Red for Women" to educate women about heart disease and its prevention.

Traynor stressed that symptoms in men and women are often different. Men tend to experience pain in the chest, arm and jaw but, for women the symptoms could be sleeplessness and lack of energy. "Mild symptoms do not equal a mild blockage in the heart. If you think something is not right with your body, have a doctor check it out. The best treatment for heart disease is an early diagnosis," says Traynor.

For more information about the Senior HealthWISE program, call (617) 724-6756.