Believe it or not, women are more prone to certain heart issues than men. Contrary to popular belief, women are also at a higher risk of developing heart disease or dying within 5 years of their first heart attack.
The doctors at UpCountry Cardiology understand that women are at a higher risk of developing a heart disease. For this reason, they are proud to offer routine diagnostics and thorough evaluations to the women of Maui, detecting their problems early-on, while they are still able to be addressed. Dr. Markarian focuses on helping women prevent and reduce their risk of serious cardiovascular issues and general issues that affect heart health.
Our dedicated and compassionate medical team focuses on cardiac issues that are more common in women than men, like cardio-oncology, pregnancy-related heart problems, and syncope.
Read More: "An Inspirational Story of Women in Cardiovascular Medicine"
Cardio-Oncology
Cardio-oncology is a specialized focus of cardiology that cares for men and women who are either at risk of having a heart condition or who are experiencing a heart condition before, during, or after the treatment of cancer.
Many cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, have a high risk of causing damage to the heart. While men are also at risk, clinical studies have shown that women are more likely to experience cardiotoxicity from chemotherapy.
In addition to the heightened risk caused by chemotherapy, other forms of breast cancer treatment in particular are notorious for causing damage to the heart. Medications used to treat early and late stages of cancer, like trastuzumab, can cause cancer treatment-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) or cardiotoxicity. This reduces your heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body and can, in serious cases, lead to heart failure, hypertension, or progressive coronary artery disease.
With Dr. Markarian, there’s no reason to worry. She will be happy to work with you and your body to manage your condition in the best manner possible.
Common Pregnancy Issues
Being pregnant is an exciting time that’s filled with a variety of physical changes. Your hormones go wild and your blood volume increases to accommodate for the life growing inside of you. This often results in your heart rate and cardiac output increasing, and your arteries dilating to provide adequate blood supply to your bundle of joy.
While these changes are common, they can often worsen pre-existing heart problems. For example, you may develop an abnormal heart rhythm throughout your pregnancy or experience a form of hypertension known as eclampsia. Many of our patients are familiar with eclampsia’s more mild form – preeclampsia. While these problems may sound scary, they don’t have to be with the proper preventive and proactive care.
Our doctors understand how overwhelming these problems may sound and how concerning they can be for pregnant patients. Our kind and caring team does everything they can to treat these problems to promote the health of the patient and their unborn baby.
Other Common Cardiac Issues in Women
Women are at a higher risk of developing heart disease, like coronary artery disease, but they are also at risk of developing lesser known problems like palpitations and syncope (fainting). Our expert staff understands these issues well and know exactly how to diagnose and treat the women who come into our office.
Palpitations
Heart palpitations are episodes in which the patient can feel their heart fluttering, or beating quickly or irregularly. While there are several reasons why heart palpitations may occur, oftentimes they are related to the patient’s lifestyle or an underlying health condition.
If you’re a woman in Maui and are experiencing palpitations, Dr. Markarian has you covered. She will be happy to provide you with a thorough assessment to get to the to the root of your heart palpitations, then find a treatment to minimize these episodes from occurring.
Syncope
Syncope, or fainting, is often a symptom of an underlying condition. These fainting spells cause temporary loss of consciousness and typically stem from a lack of blood flow to the brain.
Syncope could be a sign you have low blood pressure or a condition that is stopping your heart from pumping enough blood to your brain. Fainting spells can be a sign of tachycardia and bradycardia as well.
At UpCountry Cardiology, we understand the pattern that women experience with syncope firsthand. Our doctors make it their mission to determine the underlying cause of your syncope, so you can treat your fainting spells at their source and reduce their occurrence entirely.
Board-Certified Cardiologist in Maui, HI
Dr. Maria Markarian works hard to ensure the women of Maui have comprehensive, high-quality cardiac care specialized towards women. To learn more about how we can help you, give us a call at (808) 793-5440.
