Dr Oz: Heart Disease In Women
Dr Oz welcomed to the show his good friend, Queen Latifah. Dr Oz first congratulated on Queen on her Emmy win for portraying Bessie Smith. But the real reason Queen wanted to sit down with Dr Oz was to talk about the heart failure epidemic in our country. Heart disease is the number one killer of all American women, but it affects African American women the most, killing 50,000 every year.
The most significant risk factor of heart disease is hypertension, and about 70 million Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure, and heart failure will strike one in five Americans. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, swelling of feet, legs, and ankles, and trouble sleeping.
Dr Oz talked to Queen Latifah and her mom about Rita’s congestive heart failure diagnosis and how they’re trying to help others. (mararie / Flickr)
Dr Oz: Heart Failure Epidemic
Every minute at least one person is diagnosed with heart failure and one of those women was Queen Latifah‘s mom, Rita. Queen shared that her mom was teaching when Queen got a call that she had passed out. They rushed to the emergency room and after some testing it was determined that she had congestive heart failure. Rita shared that she felt very tired and had difficulty sleeping but never thought it could be connected to her heart.
Rita said “I never thought it could happen to me” and said since her diagnosis, she exercises a little each day and cut out the sodium in her diet. She also keeps track of her weight gain and her doctor put together a treatment that was good for her, meaning the medication was specific for her. She’s also consistently getting oxygen through her nose.
Dr Oz: Rise Above Heart Failure
Queen Latifah explained that their goal with the Rise Above Heart Failure movement is so important because of how many people it affects. She’s hoping to get the information out there so that people can be better informed. Dr Oz then showed Queen and Rita what a healthy heart looks like, showing that it’s about the size of your fist. When you have heart failure it’s practically double the size. Dr Oz explained that the heart grows in order to keep up with demands of the body.
Dr Oz: What Is Heart Failure?
The good news is that Rita’s heart has decreased in size. Queen even successfully spotted the aorta while holding the heart in her hands! Dr Oz then took Queen with him to explain what exactly happens during heart failure. There’s blood that is pumped out of the heart and blood pumped into the heart. In heart failure, the blood doesn’t go back up to the heart as efficiently, which is what causes the legs to swell. Another thing to look for is problems with the lungs. When you have both together, that’s heart failure.
Dr Oz: Causes Of Heart Failure
The most common cause of heart failure is coronary artery disease, but other causes include hypertension and diabetes. To lower your risk, according to Dr Kathy Magliato, you need to live a heart healthy lifestyle by eating right, lowering your sodium levels, and incorporating exercise into each day. It’s important to avoid smoking and watch high blood pressure.
Queen Latifah said, thanks to her mom, everyone around her has broken themselves of bad habits like adding too much salt to their food. Queen said she had to learn how to say no to her mom, knowing that it was better for her health. It’s all about educating those around you to make sure you’re able to do what’s necessary to take care of your heart the hearts of those around you.
Have you taken steps to protect your heart?
Leave a Reply