INTERVIEW: Dr. Lowell Gerber - Preventative Cardiology for Women EventDR. LOWELL GERBER | JUNE 14 | 6:30 p.m.
Dr. Lowell I Gerber MD MS FACC from Freeport Cardiology will be joining us in the store this month for an engaging discussion on managing cardiovascular risk for women. He'll share among other topics, why peri-menopause and menopause are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and share important tips and insights for how to lower your risk. We connected with him to hear more.
Why is it important to talk about the specific cardiovascular risks for women?
Women are often reluctant to think about heart disease. Many women assume that their greatest health risk is breast cancer, or ovarian cancer, when in reality the greatest killer of women is heart disease. Over 450,000 women die of cardiovascular disease each year.
At what age is prevention most important?
Women are living well beyond the age for what we as humans were originally designed, reproduction and preservation of species, approximately 40-50 years. As life spans lengthen, it becomes even more important for women to think about what they can do in terms of preserving their cardiac--and overall health--to keep functioning optimally well beyond their child bearing years.
We'll talk about what women of all ages need to know to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease. Preventive care begins even before fertilization takes place! There are differences to consider throughout the life span - not just pre-menopause, peri-menopause, and menopause.We will talk through all the phases and how to put prevention first at any age.
How will you shed some light on the guidelines for heart health we've heard before?
The American Heart Association and some of the medical organizations present guidelines that are not very helpful to "all" women. I've spent the last three years learning about women and hormones and what we're being told in the media and by those who educate themselves from the media isn't always representative of the facts and science; what we recommend for women should actually be based on what is best for them as individuals, not guidelines for a general population. I'll talk more about this and share some of the data that shows deviations from the information in the guidelines.
Can you share a more specific example?
The media has scared women away from thinking about hormones to reduce the increased risk of heart disease and stroke which begin to increase at the time of menopause, for example. Interpretations of major studies have been misleading.
These synthetic drugs have risks which are not associated with the natural hormones. In natural (bioidentical) hormones, the actual molecules are distinctly different in composition and structure, and therefore they function differently in the human body. With bioidentical therapy, you are using the same hormones your body produces, they fit perfectly into the receptors on the cell membranes, and you don't have the same risks associated with non-identical drugs which have altered structures.
What else will you touch upon in terms of helpful tips and insights on prevention?
We'll talk about "what is a heart healthy diet for women", how exercise plays a role in prevention, and what effect body composition and weight have on risks. We'll also talk about the importance of nutritional supplements and specific things every woman can do to manage cardiovascular risks and live a healthy life. There will be something for everyone to learn and to incorporate into their own health care strategy.
Register for Dr. Gerber's Event here!
There is a controversy right now about the use of hormones for preventive cardiology. Estradiol, the dominant estrogen produced from the ovaries has been shown to delay plaque formation in the arteries of the heart. For this to be effective, the hormones must be taken continuously over long periods of time after the natural decline of hormone secretion begins to occur.
The guidelines from the major medical organizations recommend that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) be used only in the smallest dose possible for the shortest period of time for treatment of symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes. The hormones which have been promoted and used for these symptoms have been synthetic hormone drugs, which are not the same as the naturally produced human hormones.
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