Wisconsin Women of Color Network’s
Spring Training Conference:
It Takes a Healthy Heart
Spring Training Conference:
It Takes a Healthy Heart
| Dr. Felicia Robertson, a clinical assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, talks about heart health at the Urban League of Greater Madison |
“Heart disease is the number one killer and cancer is number two,” Robertson said. “There are over a million heart attacks every
year. As a family physician, my goal is prevention. I want to prevent the first heart attack because I know that many individuals won’t
even make it to the hospital. They will die in transit. And within the next year, one in three will die after that first heart attach. So my
goal is to prevent that first attack or stroke.”
One of the ways to prevent heart disease is to prevent the blockage of arteries through healthy eating.
“When we are supersizing foods, that can have an impact when someone is 30-40 years old,” Robertson said. “So I am a huge fan of
five different servings of fruit and vegetables every day. I’m a person of moderation, so I enjoy my occasional fried fish or wonderful
burger that has cheese as well as bacon. There is nothing like a really delicious hamburger that is mega-sized. But the vast majority
of time, it is important to make sure that we get our adequate fruit and vegetables as well.”
African American women and women in general are traditionally the caretakers of the family, oftentimes neglecting their own health
and the symptoms of disease as they remain focused on everyone else around them. Robertson feels that for the sake of the entire
family, women need to focus on their own health.
“The leading cause of death simply starting at age 35 is heart disease,” Roberson said. “We are inundated with breast cancer, breast
cancer, breast cancer and absolutely mammograms, monthly breast exams and yearly clinical exams are important. But heart disease
itself, will kill 250,000 women every year, one death every two minutes. Over the course of time, it is really sad because 80 percent
of deaths attributable to heart disease are largely preventable. It kills 10 times more women that breast cancer alone. And again, 40
percent more African American women will die of heart disease compared to Caucasians. And the numbers are higher, again, for
Latinas and Native Americans as well.”
Robertson cautioned those present to pay attention to their own symptoms and to advocate for themselves because their symptoms
may not reflect the classic symptoms for heaqrt attacks.
“If a woman does not go in and say, ‘I have heartburn that occurs when I go up and down stairs, but I am concerned that this is my
heart,’ it is quite possible that the physician will think, ‘Heartburn, give her a Pepcid and send her home’ instead of ‘Let’s do what we
would ordinarily do for a person who came in with classic symptoms of crushing chest discomfort,’” Robertson said. “We might just
have subtle symptoms that are exertional, heartburn when we are carrying things or jaw pain that goes away when we sit. As
women, we can be challenging to diagnose, so it is important for us to be aware of the atypical symptoms that can occur, which can
include exertional back pain or sudden weakness. And if you are suspecting a heart attack, chew on aspiring, call 911 to get
evaluated. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. That is scary on all fronts.”
year. As a family physician, my goal is prevention. I want to prevent the first heart attack because I know that many individuals won’t
even make it to the hospital. They will die in transit. And within the next year, one in three will die after that first heart attach. So my
goal is to prevent that first attack or stroke.”
One of the ways to prevent heart disease is to prevent the blockage of arteries through healthy eating.
“When we are supersizing foods, that can have an impact when someone is 30-40 years old,” Robertson said. “So I am a huge fan of
five different servings of fruit and vegetables every day. I’m a person of moderation, so I enjoy my occasional fried fish or wonderful
burger that has cheese as well as bacon. There is nothing like a really delicious hamburger that is mega-sized. But the vast majority
of time, it is important to make sure that we get our adequate fruit and vegetables as well.”
African American women and women in general are traditionally the caretakers of the family, oftentimes neglecting their own health
and the symptoms of disease as they remain focused on everyone else around them. Robertson feels that for the sake of the entire
family, women need to focus on their own health.
“The leading cause of death simply starting at age 35 is heart disease,” Roberson said. “We are inundated with breast cancer, breast
cancer, breast cancer and absolutely mammograms, monthly breast exams and yearly clinical exams are important. But heart disease
itself, will kill 250,000 women every year, one death every two minutes. Over the course of time, it is really sad because 80 percent
of deaths attributable to heart disease are largely preventable. It kills 10 times more women that breast cancer alone. And again, 40
percent more African American women will die of heart disease compared to Caucasians. And the numbers are higher, again, for
Latinas and Native Americans as well.”
Robertson cautioned those present to pay attention to their own symptoms and to advocate for themselves because their symptoms
may not reflect the classic symptoms for heaqrt attacks.
“If a woman does not go in and say, ‘I have heartburn that occurs when I go up and down stairs, but I am concerned that this is my
heart,’ it is quite possible that the physician will think, ‘Heartburn, give her a Pepcid and send her home’ instead of ‘Let’s do what we
would ordinarily do for a person who came in with classic symptoms of crushing chest discomfort,’” Robertson said. “We might just
have subtle symptoms that are exertional, heartburn when we are carrying things or jaw pain that goes away when we sit. As
women, we can be challenging to diagnose, so it is important for us to be aware of the atypical symptoms that can occur, which can
include exertional back pain or sudden weakness. And if you are suspecting a heart attack, chew on aspiring, call 911 to get
evaluated. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. That is scary on all fronts.”
By Jonathan Gramling
Part 1 of 2
With many of its members approaching their retirement years — or
have loved ones entering them as well — the Wisconsin Women of
Color Network focused on heart health as a part of their celebration of
Women’s History Month on March 31 at the Urban League of Greater
Madison. And Dr. Felicia Robertson, a clinical assistant professor at
the Medical College of Wisconsin, knew how to lay it out in plain terms
so that even the person with the most unhealthy habits would sit up
and listen.
As she opened her remarks, Robertson emphasized that heart disease
is the number one killer of all Americans even though there are some
diseases like breast cancer or AIDS/HIV that get more media attention.
She thinks that these other diseases do need that attention, but don’t
forget heart disease.
