26 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • FEBRUARY 2021
FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH
Add a pandemic to the mix, and the
risk for heart disease may increase.
There’s yet to be any data-driven
evidence saying that heart disease
increased in 2020, but anecdotally,
doctors are worried this could be
the case.
“I wholeheartedly believe it could
have,” says Dr. Evelina Grayver,
director of Women’s Heart Health at
Northwell Central Region and Katz
Women’s Institute. “I think there
will be tons of studies coming out to
show the heart damage that has been
caused.”
The possible uptick could be explained
in two ways: delay in care
and contracting Covid-19 itself,
which sometimes causes heart issues,
Grayver says.
“During the height of Covid, patients
were very fearful of going into the
hospital to tend to their needs,” she
explains. “What we are seeing now is
because of that fear, a lot of patients
have delayed their cardiac care to
the point where a lot of them have
irreversible damage. Covid itself
also causes underlying cardiac complications
due to the inflammation
within the heart muscle.”
Dr. Sherry Megalla, a noninvasive
cardiologist at Mount Sinai South
Nassau, notes that not all Covid-19
patients experience heart issues.
When they do, many will get over
them with time, especially younger
patients. However, the pandemic
and quarantining could increase a
person’s risk if they’ve fallen into a
lack of exercise or unhealthy diet.
“It’s probably increased all of our
risk factors,” she says. “Because
people are more sedentary, they
start developing cardiac symptoms.”
Contrary to popular belief, heart
disease does not always show in the
body as chest pain, experts say, especially
for women and the elderly.
Symptoms can include chest discomfort,
shortness of breath, fatigue, or
heart palpitations.
Haynes also notes that the body will
suddenly feel exerted if a heart problem
is present. A patient may go to
do a normal task, such as grabbing
a remote, and suddenly feel out of
breath. Those who exercise may not
be able to complete the same routines
if they’re developing a heart
problem.
“When we’re trying to figure out if
it’s related to the heart or something
else, the biggest symptom is that it’s
exertional,” she says. “For us, the
main point is, it’s not just chest pain
that you see on TV. It can be shortness
of breath, or even fatigue.”
To prevent heart problems, Grayver
recommends getting in at least
150 minutes of cardio exercise per
week. She also suggests that people
be aware of their blood pressure and
cholesterol levels, which can be signs
of heart issues if they are not where
they should be. Also, manage stress.
“Stress is a huge risk factor,” she
says. “They don't say stress is a silent
killer for nothing. It causes a
significant inflammatory response,
can impact our heart significantly,
and cause progression of blocks in
arteries.”
Finally, the doctors urge those experiencing
any symptoms to seek
medical care, whether in person or
via telehealth.
“Routine testing should be done,” Stevens
Haynes says. “Doctors’ offices
and hospitals are very safe. I don't
want people to think it’s a risk to
come to the hospital — we continue
to provide care to non-Covid-19 patients
without issue.
“A lot of patients have delayed their cardiac care
to the point where a lot of them have irreversible
damage,” says Dr. Evelina Grayver.
PRESS HEALTH
continued from page 25
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