Education, prevention can make all the difference when it comes to women’s heart health

I was in my mid-40s. I was tired all the time. I would get exhausted just walking across my apartment (and not because it was so spacious, either!). Eventually, I was diagnosed with a lung condition and sleep apnea. My heart was an afterthought. I spent years sleeping with a CPAP machine and visiting emergency rooms every few months to be treated for exhaustion and passing out. It was my lungs, the doctors assured me. I wasn’t getting enough oxygen and that’s why I was always tired. And I didn’t know enough to question their opinion.

Fast forward 10 years. I was now 55 and hospitalized on three different occasions. My doctors finally turned their attention to my heart and discovered I suffered from supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation. Twice I had to be resuscitated with shocks from an AED. Finally, I was diagnosed with bradycardia (slow heartbeat) and in November 2022 I received a pacemaker device—a device that has allowed me to “get back to normal” and live my life the way I want to. But almost every day I wonder how my life could have changed with an earlier diagnosis and intervention.

The women’s heart health crisis

I probably should have seen this coming because, unfortunately, heart disease runs in my family. My grandmother passed away at age 52 from a heart attack (it was her third). My mother has it. My sisters have it. And now, so do I. Between us, we have experienced high blood pressure, valve replacements, stent installations, atrial fibrillation, and more. We understand, now, just how important cardiac health care is, and the difference it can make. And, as a health benefits professional, I know all too well that a terrifying number of women still don’t realize just how much danger they’re facing—or how many powerful tools they have at their disposal.

Let me throw a few stats at you. For starters, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 60 million women in the United States currently live with heart disease. What’s more, heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the U.S., responsible for more than 310,000 deaths of women in 2021 alone. That’s about 1 in every 5 female deaths. Maybe even more sobering: the CDC has also found that only about half of U.S. women are aware that heart disease is their number one killer.

This ongoing threat to health, coupled with a lack of awareness, is a lethal combination. But, as HR leaders and benefits brokers, you can (and should) play an important role! Tackling this threat will require both educating women about their vulnerability to heart disease and empowering them to utilize the potentially lifesaving tools they have at their disposal. Both key areas where you can help!

For example, let’s talk about preventive care. Typically accessible through employee health benefits, these preventive measures can make a major difference in patient health outcomes for women. Screenings, prescriptions, vaccinations, and even dental cleanings can improve lives and increase lifespans for women—but not if they are never utilized.

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You are uniquely positioned to help raise awareness among women to seek out cardiac care and talk to their doctors about how to start working now to prevent or lessen heart disease in the future. Employee communications are a vital first step in improving heart health for women, and there are so many ways to get the message out. There are simple answers, such as putting up posters in the breakroom or adding a message to the company intranet. You can also engage employees through company newsletters and emails. However you choose to do it, your broker and benefits administrator can help you craft your message and provide you with engaging materials to share.

Together, we can make a big impact

I want my story to be a cautionary tale—after all, even people working in the industry (like me) aren’t always aware of the help they can get and the prevention tools at their disposal. I want to help spread the word and help women understand the power their benefits can make when it comes to prevention.

It has made a big difference in my life. Just last spring, months after my pacemaker surgery, I found myself in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, needing to get from one end of the sprawling complex to the other. In my life before the pacemaker, a trip like that would have been inconceivable. Not anymore. As I walked through terminal after terminal, my heart beating strongly in my chest, I knew I was on the right path. Proper health care for your heart can make all the difference in leading the life you want. Getting out the message is an important task, one that we can tackle together.

Cheryl Merritt is a Director of Client Management for Luminare Health.