Episode summary
The Key to a Healthy Woman's Heart | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
· · 9 min · Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec · Guests: Joy Gelbman
Summary
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women, and the episode centers on why the problem is still underrecognized, underdiagnosed, and likely to worsen. The host cites reporting that heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined, and notes a new Circulation study showing a rising burden among younger women, including a projection that nearly a third of women ages 22 to 44 will be diagnosed with some form of cardiovascular disease by 2050.
Joy Gelbman says the American Heart Association is forecasting an even larger long-term burden, with six out of 10 women expected to have some degree of heart disease by 2050. She argues that the main drivers are familiar risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking, but also women-specific risks such as preeclampsia, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, and gestational diabetes.
Gelbman says women are often missed because they do not expect heart disease, their symptoms can look different, and clinicians may dismiss complaints as anxiety or stress. She urges women to know their numbers, track blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, and focus on prevention through diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction.
Key takeaways
- Joy Gelbman says the American Heart Association expects six out of 10 women to have some degree of heart disease by 2050.
- The host cites a Circulation study projecting that nearly a third of women ages 22 to 44 will be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease by 2050.
- Gelbman says women-specific pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, can raise later-life heart disease risk.
- Gelbman argues women are often underdiagnosed because their symptoms can be atypical, such as nausea, back pain, tiredness, or indigestion.
- She advises women to know their blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar numbers and to prioritize prevention through exercise, diet, sleep, and stress control.
Notable quotes
“heart disease is the top cause of death for women in the United States kills more of them than all forms of cancer combined”
“Nearly a third of all women between ages 22 and 44 will be diagnosed with some form of cardiovascular disease by 2050”
“the burden of heart disease and stroke in women is projected to increase um to a point at which six out of 10 women is expected to have some degree of heart disease by 2050”
“there are risk factors that are actually specific to women”
“women sometimes can have atypical symptoms, meaning sometimes they feel it might be nausea, it might be, you know, sweatiness, it might be back pain”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts radio news. — You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Tim Stenc on Bloomberg Radio. — Well, Scientific American recently uh writing about how heart disease is the top cause of death for women in the United States kills more of them than all forms of cancer combined. And it notes, quote, "The unique signs and symptoms of heart disease in women are more likely to go undetected and untreated, Tim, than those in men."
And a new study out notes that it may be about to get worse. The study published today in circulation also shows an alarming uptick of disease in younger women. Nearly a third of all women between ages 22 and 44 will be diagnosed with some form of cardiovascular disease by 2050.
All right, let's get to it. Time for the Bloomberg Business Week women's health segment where we focus on key issues in developing technologies that are impacting the present and future of women's health around the world. We do welcome Dr.
Joy Galb uh Gelman uh associate professor of medicine and board certified cardiologist at Wild Cornell Medicine joining us in New York City. Um Dr. Gelman, share with us a bit more when it comes to the reality of heart disease in women.
we laid it out a little bit in the introduction and kind of what are the common cases that you often see.
Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me and highlighting this um extremely important issue for uh for women um which is that it's been known for decades that heart disease is the number one killer of women. Um and unfortunately that not only is not improving but as you pointed out we're learning that um as recently as you know today that the American Heart Association is forecasting that the burden of heart disease and stroke in women is projected to increase um to a point at which six out of 10 women is expected to have some degree of heart disease by 2050.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- american heart month
- women's heart health
- cardiovascular disease prevention
- sex-specific cardiac risk factors
- treatment disparities
Companies and tickers mentioned
- Weill Cornell Medicine
Watch the episode
Watch “The Key to a Healthy Woman's Heart | Bloomberg Businessweek” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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