While mental health remains a key focus in supporting active-duty military and veterans, a cardiologist reminds military women that they need to take care of their heart health as well.
“There is such an intricate link between our mental health and our cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Denise Zingrone, a board-certified cardiologist at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mill, where she is the Assistant Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program and the Assistant Director of the Women’s Health Center.
Dr. Zingrone has been a practicing cardiologist for more than 20 years. February is Women’s Heart Health Month and Zingrone’s emphasizing the link between mental health and heart health for military women is especially pertinent because cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women in the United States – civilian or military.
In fact, the Women’s Heart Center at Deborah reports that CVD is responsible for the death of more women than the next 16 causes of death combined – including all cancers.
“I can’t imagine the stress these women in the military face on a regular basis,” said Zingrone. “Certainly, their experiences place them at a higher risk for CVD, with their being away from their family, their children or their support circles. That can lead to higher levels of anxiety or depression.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports more women veterans are registering for their services than any other group. In fact, the VA says 30 percent of its new patients are women.
This stands to reason given the growth in the number of women serving in the military. Between 2000-2023 the total percentage of women serving in the military increased from 6.3 percent to 11.3 percent or 2.1 million of the total population of veterans.
Of these 2.1 million, 80 percent served in wartime. By 2043, it is projected that women will make up more than 17 percent of the veteran population.
“Higher rates of stress can predispose to high blood pressure and other habits like not making the best choices in diet,” said Zingrone. “This plays a big role in cardiovascular health.”
Zingrone urges military women to do what they can relieve stress.
“Exercise is a wonderful form of stress relief,” she says. “The American Heart Association recommends people should engage in 45 minutes of moderately intense aerobic activity five times a week. “This can be a bit tricky. It is hard for someone experiencing depression or anxiety to engage in regular exercise. Some other options – a regular mindfulness practice such as mediation; others listen to music or pray. These practices do not have to take up a whole lot of time.”
A healthy diet is another of Zingrone’s recommendations for military women.
“We live in a very convenient time where we can get any food or snack we want at any hour delivered right to us,” she said. “Portions have dramatically increased, and the availability of nutrient-deficient food has become much more available.
“Combined with sedentary lifestyles, we are seeing high rates of obesity and diabetes. We need better nutritional strategies. We recommend the Mediterranean Diet focused on fish, vegetables and whole grains.”
Zingrone urges military women to be alert about their heart health.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in the number one killer of men and women. Consider getting a risk assessment from your medical professional. The risk assessment includes:
- Check blood pressure
- Get a cholesterol profile
- Screen for diabetes
- Evaluate family medical history
- Assess weight with a focus on the waist – a larger gut can mean a higher risk
- Assess amount of physical activity
“Heart disease is not an older man’s condition. It can affect people at much younger ages,” she warns. “The most common symptoms that warn of a heart attack are chest pressure or discomfort and pain radiating down the arm.
“Women may have more subtler symptoms. It might be shortness of breath or lightheadedness. You may be more tired than usual doing something like climbing stairs; or maybe you cannot do some of the things you used to do without needing to rest and catch your breath. If you have something that doesn’t feel right, get medical attention. It could be the sign of a heart issue.”
Finally, Zingrone urges women to get screened even if they don’t feel as though anything is wrong.
“As a cardiologist, I don’t mind seeing people ten or twenty times. We want people to come in. We don’t want to hear about people who thought they had indigestion and then had a serious cardiac event.
“I do feel military women have unique stresses. So often, I see that women don’t want to bother anybody, or they don’t want to be embarrassed because they were wrong. That can lead them to greater complications. If we can do a screening for prevention now, that would be great. I would encourage military women to use us in their quest for optimal cardiovascular health.”
