Northwest Health hosts ‘Woman-to-Woman: A New Conversation’ for a heart-healthy discussion

With many celebrating Valentine’s Day with their loved ones recently, a lot of people have been in the mindset of a happy heart. This American Heart Month, Northwest Health is guiding people to not only have a happy heart but a healthy heart with events like “Woman-to-Woman: A New Conversation About Heart Health.” Hosted on Tuesday, February 17 at the Sand Creek Country Club, the event centered on having open and informative conversations about heart health in women.

“Woman-to-Woman: A New Conversation About Heart Health” is one of several Northwest Health events observing American Heart Month and featured four female cardiologists speaking about meaningful topics to guide women towards a future that includes a long, heart-healthy life. The event was led by Cardiologists Sabaa Ahmed, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Maya Kommineni, Doctor of Medicine (MD), Stella Kyung, MD, and Jessica Williams, MD.

“It’s a huge opportunity for us to do an event like this,” Kommineni said. “This is the number one killer in women, and two out of every three women have cardiac disease. One out of every three women die, and it goes undetected or undiagnosed. It’s great for us to reach as many people as we can.”

Topics such as heart attacks in women, advanced cardiac imaging, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, atrial fibrillation, and more were discussed during this program. Most of the topics emphasized the education of prevention and wellness.

“We tried to pick topics that are a bit more common,” Kommineni said. “I’m going over atrial fibrillation, but we are also discussing issues of sudden cardiac death and chest pain. It’s also important to be an advocate for yourself and to understand your family history.”

Ahmed opened the program by discussing Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) and how it can impact pregnant or middle-aged women.

“SCAD occurs overwhelmingly in women in their 40s or 50s,” Ahmed said. “It may cause acute coronary syndrome and up to 35% of heart attacks in women 50 and under. It’s the most common cause of heart attack in pregnancy.”

Kommineni shared the biggest components that cause atrial fibrillation and blood clots in the heart. 

“Typically, we think it’s age-related. We see it more as we get older because the heart changes,” Kommineni said. “Blood pressure is the number one cause of atrial fibrillation. Factors such as obesity or sleep apnea can really irritate the heart as well.”

Kyung highlighted the benefits that modern imaging can have in protecting women’s heart health.

“Advancing imaging helps us detect disease earlier, avoid unnecessary procedures, and personalize the care,” Kyung said. “We can look at the heart muscle, blood flow, heart arteries, and the structure and function.”

Williams covered the impact of heart attacks, along with the symptoms that are most frequent.

“This pain can radiate to your shoulders. Sometimes it can go to your right arm, or even your left arm,” Williams said. “Some patients will come in with progressive fatigue saying, ‘I can usually get through one or two miles a day, but now I’m struggling with half a mile.’ Shortness of breath, chest pain, breaking out into a cold sweat, or feeling nauseous can all be symptoms as well.”

After the initial discussion, the four physicians opened up the floor to questions from the attendees. By creating a conversation that allowed all of the attendees to speak comfortably about their health concerns, the goal is that these women can leave with practical and actionable insights that they can apply to their own situations.

Prior to the event, attendees were asked to bring a newly purchased personal care item for donation to The Caring Place, a non-profit in Valparaiso that serves victims of domestic violence. Everyone who donated earned a raffle entry for a chance to win a special prize.

“The beautiful thing about this event is we have women coming together to support one another,” Kommineni said. “We’re coming together to support each other, celebrate as a collective, and give back to our community in a meaningful way. The Caring Place is a shelter for domestic violence victims, so we want to do something special to show our appreciation for them.”

The Medical Staff of Northwest Health – Porter also presented a $500 donation to The Caring Place at the event.

Throughout the evening, women were able to visit with local female-owned businesses and learn about what they have to offer. This allowed women an opportunity to mingle, enjoy hor d’oeuvres, and discover products that are best suited for them.

“Part of the reason we invited women who own small businesses is to show them our support, help them thrive, and get the word out about what they’re doing.”

Having a healthy heart is imperative to a long future and can be attributed to day-to-day habits. Some women might not discover their health issue until it gets too severe. If you are a woman dealing with heart complications, check out the Heart Care tab on the Northwest Health website to learn more about the severity of your health issues.

All the women in attendance had an opportunity to get their blood pressure checked, purchase jewelry, and clothing items as well.

For more information on Northwest Health, you can visit NWHealthIN.com