In this month's episode of Hadassah on Call: New Frontiers in Medicine, we speak with Dr. Donna Zfat-Zwas, a cardiologist and the director of the Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Center for Women at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. A guest on our podcast previously, she delves into women's heart health, exploring strategies for maintaining a healthy heart and outlining practical treatment approaches for those facing heart-related challenges.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 60 million women in the United States are living with some form of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death for women in the US and is responsible for one in five deaths.

In Israel, according to Dr. Zfat-Zwas, heart disease is a close second to cancer.

Dr. Zfat-Zwas emphasizes that preventing heart disease means adopting proactive health habits, including effectively managing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, controlling diabetes, maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in regular exercise and ensuring sufficient sleep.

She also talks about various treatments for people with heart disease, such as coronary artery bypass grafting (C.A.B.G.), pronounced "cabbage." Dr. Zfat-Zwas speculates that this procedure tends to be less successful for women than men for several reasons, including that they tend to bleed more, be more frail and older, and tend to have more other diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.

In general, she says, women tend to have fewer heart attacks and heart blockages, but when they do get them, "they get into more trouble."

Throughout our conversation, we also delve into additional aspects of women's heart health, such as how birth control, pregnancy and menopause affect your chances of developing heart disease.

Dr. Zfat-Zwas has appeared on our podcast before. Listen to her previous appearances:

How Gender Plays A Role in Heart Disease

The Heart of the Matter: The Real Facts on Women and Heart Disease

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Further learning:

• Women's Equality Day: Jerusalem Dispatch
• Heartfelt Change, Thanks to Female-Focused Center at Hadassah
• Saving Women's Hearts: The Dangers of Delay and the Power of Education
• A Memo from the Director of Hadassah's Cardiac Wellness Center for Women
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Women's Hearts: What Hadassah Has Learned

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"Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine" is a production of Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America. Hadassah enhances the health of people around the world through medical education, care and research innovations at the Hadassah Medical Organization. For more information on the latest advances in medicine please head over to hadassah.org.

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The show is hosted by Maayan Hoffman and produced by the team at the Hadassah offices in both New York and Israel.

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Our recent episode with Dr. Michal Kaufmann
If you are enjoying this episode, you’ll want to check out our previous episode with Dr. Michal Kaufmann, head of the Ear Surgery and Cochlear Transplantation Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. She's talking us through the causes and treatments of hearing loss.

You can find that episode of "Hadassah On Call" on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcast. Or on the web at  hadassah.org/hadassahoncall.

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