HEALTH & WELLNESS
Get to the Heart of the Matter May and June each have a week to spotlight the many health issues that women and men face. None may be more important than cardiovascular health. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.gov), more than 600,000 men and women in the United States die of heart disease each year making it the leading cause of death for both. Rajiv K. Sharma, board certified in cardiovascular disease, adult echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiovascular computed tomography and internal medicine, wants men and women to know that there is good news if they suffer with heart disease. “We’re lucky in cardiology to have a lot of data-driven guidelines and constant research and innovation,” said Dr. Sharma, who recently joined BayCare Medical Group on the campus of St. Anthony’s Hospital. “I’ve always loved that we can ‘fix’ many of the cardiac problems due to the robust technological and theoretical evolution of the field.” Dr. Sharma says that he knows patients are often worried when they must see a cardiologist. “I try to thrive in making people comfortable which I feel is extremely helpful to patients who are worried about seeing a heart doctor,” he said. Although Dr. Sharma grew up in the Clearwater area, he graduated from the St. Petersburg High School International Baccalaureate Program. He developed an interest in medicine from watching his father, also a cardiologist, who he says is his mentor. Dr. Sharma earned his medical degree from the University of Lublin in Poland and completed his residency at The Jewish Hospital – Mercy Health in Cincinnati. He also completed a cardiovascular fellowship at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. To mark Women’s and Men’s Health weeks, we asked Dr. Sharma about the risk factors men and women face for heart disease; what doctors are learning about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the heart; and the importance of patient “buy in” on heart health. What are some of the most common heart diseases and conditions among men and women? When we talk about the basis of cardiovascular diseases, generally referring to coronary artery disease “blockages,” heart failure, stroke and hypertension (high blood pressure) are all the most common. Lifetime risk for any individual of having such cardiovascular disease is in excess of 50% once they are older than
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StPeteLifeMag.com
May/June 2021
30. Coronary artery disease blockages remain the leading cause of death across all socioeconomic strata in the United States and is often thought to be the leading cause of death in most developed countries. Which of those tend to affect women more? Is there a reason why women might be affected more by some forms of heart disease than others? Across the spectrum the same risk factors that affect men will also affect women (age, presence of risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, cholesterol issues, personal risk factors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, family history). Men tend to be higher risk earlier on. However, the post-menopausal state often results in an equalization of those risk profiles, although it is unclear what the exact mechanism is here. One thing that has been shown is that hormone replacement therapy is not protective and can actually increase risk of cardiovascular disease. What are some of the other diseases that can stem from or can work toward causing cardiovascular disease, especially those that affect women most? In terms of unique risk factors to women. The presence of polycystic ovarian syndrome and the use of combined progestin/estrogen contraceptives have been shown to increase cardiovascular risk. Pre-eclampsia in pregnancy has been shown to increase future risk, gestational hypertension portends hypertensive risk and its associated consequences. If you suffer from heart disease, does that mean you might have other health concerns as well? In terms of other health concerns with cardiovascular disease, having it is multifaceted. Most people who have one part of it, whether it be stroke history or heart attack history, have several of its risk factors as well, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, cholesterol issues and are sedentary. Cardiovascular disease often presents as a continuum of one step leading to the next, for example, having a heart attack leading to the development of heart failure which then leads to the development of rhythm issues. This can be extrapolated to other very common issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Studies in the late 2010s showed that many adults, especially men, don’t like going to the doctor. How important is it for
