HEART HEALTH — Those in the Wintersville Woman’s Club wore red to their Feb. 20 meeting at St. Florian Hall to represent women’s heart health, which is recognized every February. The guest speaker was Lisa Kush from Trinity Health System, who addressed those in attendance about important heart issues every woman should know. -- Contributed

WINTERSVILLE — The Wintersville Woman’s Club met Feb. 20 at St. Florian Hall, with members of the health and wellness committee serving as the afternoon’s hostesses. The meeting’s theme was Women’s Heart Health, which featured guest speaker Lisa Kush, clinical and interventional cardiology specialist with Trinity Health System.

Kush talked to those in attendance about heart disease — the No. 1 killer of women. The majority of women are not properly diagnosed, Kush explained, saying there are eight risk factors women must be made aware of for having heart disease.

The risk factors include: Hypertension, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, menopause and sleep apnea.

Women do not have the same symptoms of heart disease as men, Kush continued. A woman’s symptoms can range from tightness or fullness in the chest, to having pain anywhere from the ears to the belly button, such as the jaw, teeth, ears and between the shoulder blades.

Additional symptoms are shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations, swelling and tiredness. Kush stressed that women have intuition and know their bodies, and should they experience any of these symptoms, she should seek medical intervention right away.

There are ways in which the risks of heart disease can be lessened, she noted. Such methods include keeping track of your blood pressure and realizing if your numbers are not within the guidelines you should seek medical intervention.

Diabetics must take measures to control their diabetes, she continued, adding smokers need to stop smoking, as there are now many ways to assist with smoking cessation, including a new laser treatment that has proven successful.

Kush told the women to become active. “Walking is a great way to exercise,” she said. Women who undergo premature menopause should seek treatment, which can include estrogen therapy, according to Kush, who added to be sure to take measures to control elevated cholesterol levels. Those who may suspect they have sleep apnea should seek testing and treatment, she said.

Kush’s final message to those in the club was that if a woman believes she is having a heart attack, she should immediately call 911, as the successful management of an attack depends upon the amount of time it takes to get treatment.