The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Health Spotlights

The Surprising Facts about Heart Attacks in Women

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Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. But the good news is that it’s 80 percent preventable.

The statistics are staggering: According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. And heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths among women each year–more than all cancers combined.

Yet heart disease continues to be considered a “mostly male health issue.” Because of this misconception, women who are experiencing signs of a heart attack often don’t seek the immediate, life-saving care they need. In fact, it is common for women to wait more than six hours after first feeling the symptoms of a heart attack before going to the ER. Often, they believe they are experiencing nonlife-threatening conditions like acid reflux, the flu or normal aging. As a cardiologist, I encourage women to think about their heart health, and the heart health of the women they love, as the actions you take now could save your life.

Know The Symptoms

We’ve all seen the crushing left-sided chest pain of a heart attack that’s dramatized on TV. It’s important to know, though, that women don’t experience heart attack symptoms the same way men do. Women can feel chest pain, but more often will feel a little chest tightness or some weakness, shortness of breath or pain anywhere in the upper body, like the back of the neck or jaw. Indeed, chest pain is absent in 43% of women having a heart attack.

Women, particularly older diabetic women, tend to have more vague symptoms that make it difficult to tell what exactly is going on. These symptoms could be as common as weakness or fatigue. This is a primary reason why women delay seeking treatment or calling 911 and why there is sometimes a delay in doing an EKG or cardiology consultation for women. It is important for women to know the signs and to seek help immediately for any troubling symptoms.

Get Screened

As women, we know to schedule regular mammograms, but we continue to lag behind men in getting screened for heart disease. According to the AHA, almost two-thirds (64%) of women who die suddenly from coronary heart disease exhibit no previous symptoms. This is why physicians and cardiologists stress the importance of regular cardiac screening for women.

Lower Your Risk

Lifestyle changes can profoundly affect heart health in women. According to the AHA, nearly 80% of cardiac events can be prevented, yet cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat. To help combat this threat, consider the following recommendations:

• Get moving: We recommend 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week–that’s 30 minutes, five days a week. Anything that gets you moving counts, so walk, take the stairs or park far away and walk to the store. Then, as your body is able to accept a higher level of activity, move more. Exercise also helps with stress.

• Avoid sitting for long periods: A sedentary lifestyle is dangerous for overall health. If you’re sitting at your desk all day, set a timer every hour as a reminder to get up and get moving.

• Adjust your diet: When you start exercising, the endorphin release will make you motivated to make better food choices. Avoid processed foods and stick to natural, whole foods. We recommend a Mediterranean diet for optimal heart health.

• Get annual checkups: Regular checkups should start at age 40 or sooner if you have a family history of diseases. Once you know your numbers, your doctor can better guide you on how to reduce your chances of having a heart attack.

• Stop smoking: According to the AHA, smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by two to four times. Also, women who smoke have a 25% higher risk of developing heart disease as compared to men who smoke. Discuss a smoking cessation plan with your doctor and kick the smoking habit.

While it’s frightening to know that someone dies of a heart attack every 42 seconds, this statistic is something our team of highly skilled cardiologists and heart health specialists are working hard to reverse. Relying on evidence-based research, and using the most advanced equipment and techniques, we can provide world-class cardiovascular care to women and men here in Westchester County, close to home. Know the symptoms of heart disease, get screened and practice prevention.

Let’s Go Clubbing… Club Fit Experts Weigh in on Undertaking Personal Fitness Journeys

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At Club Fit: Donna Berta, fitness director, and Steve Butler, personal trainer
PHOTO BY MIA BROWN

Remember the 1980’s? If you too are of a certain vintage, there are simply some things you’ll never forget. Fashion? Fluorescent! And we loved our big hair, our even bigger shoulder pads. Of course, like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, that was just for work. When we wanted to work out, we rocked leotards and leg warmers and tried to channel Cher’s “If it came in a bottle, everyone would have a great body” and Jane Fonda’s “No pain, no gain” mantras.

Ahh, nostalgia. Though we may look fondly back at the “music still on MTV” eighties, and while it’s true that what goes around comes around (so we’re seeing some of those eighties looks back in style!), it’s also true that we’ve moved on in many ways. This includes our approach to fitness.

Club Fit fitness director Donna Berta couldn’t agree more, citing “people are more active in general, especially older people, and ‘old’ is not the same as it used to be.” That said, Berta points out that her own family was always an exception, as all of them were always active and sporty, including her mom who played basketball with Berta and her siblings. She views her mother’s active way of life as inspirational, and notes that current attitudes about fitness have caught up with what her mom seemed to instinctively know. Today’s healthy mantra is less about getting skinny and more about having skin in a daily fitness regime.

Donna, who has been with Club Fit for 28 years now, notes the clients who come with specific health improvement goals and others who come to maintain their fitness via the many options the club offers, but, overall, everyone recognizes the need to be functionally fit for all that life has to offer. One great example Donna mentioned is a club fit member and personal training client who is in his 80’s and came to Club Fit to work on staying fit to be able to play with his grandchildren and granddogs…have to say, this puts a whole other spin on the “eighties”!

Changing it Up

PHOTO BY MIA BROWN

What’s in the fitness lineup these days? Unless you’ve been living on some alien planet far, far away (ok, COVID isolation felt a bit that way, but still), you know that there’s so much more to exercise than, say, running on a treadmill. Of course, treadmills are still a great way to get your cardio on, but changing up workout routines is why gyms like Club Fit have become a key part of so many people’s lives and routines. Yoga? You bet. Pilates? Yes, please. These days, and at any age, we can Spin, Dance, TRX, HOIST, Box, Kickbox, and swim our way into health and well-being. It’s like a well-laid buffet, only all-you-can-exercise instead of eat! And if classes aren’t your thing, there are plenty of the latest cardio machines to keep your heartrate pumping, and weight training circuits and free weights for strength training too.

Not sure how to get started? Need some help changing up your routine? Want an expert to make sure you’re doing things the right way? That’s where personal training comes into play. Personal trainers are often motivated to help others achieve health benefits because they’ve personally “been there, done that”.

Take Club Fit’s Steve Butler. He’d always been into sports and had been managing a retail sports shop, but quit his gym membership during Covid which led to a decrease in his regular fitness routine. He also shared that he moved in with his girlfriend, which led him to put on some “happy weight”. He soon realized he needed regular fitness back in his life.

A Journey to Call Your Own

PHOTO BY MIA BROWN

To achieve his goal, Steve built his own home gym and got down to some serious self-training. It paid off so well that others started to ask him for tips. He took this as a “sign from above” and became certified as a personal trainer. He loves the work, and working one-on-one, saying “I love to help people. I tell them about my journey but always tell them they’re an individual so their journey will be their own–whether it’s weight loss or fitness or both. I mix it up for everyone depending on their goals, and whether they’re beginners or experienced.”

I asked Steve about working out as we age, and he, like Donna, spoke to the importance of maintaining fitness over time, noting strength and balance are key and that optimal nutrition is vital too.

Yes, healthy bodies and minds do need to stay fueled. Sometimes we all need a bit of help sticking to a healthy diet too. Whether you’re looking for a quick energy boost or a full-on meal, whether you’re counting calories, doing Keto, or just looking for healthy options you don’t have to cook yourself, Club Fit has delicious meals and snacks including, per Inside Press’s own Grace Bennett, some of the very best soups and smoothies around town!

Speaking of Grace, many know of her incredible father “Poppy”, and that he passed away only somewhat recently, enjoying a full and happy (yes, happy, even having lived through and surviving the Holocaust) 97 years of life. Grace shares that Poppy was always on the move, telling her frequently that “blood flow” is the key to health.

In his honor, and because age and isolation do slow even the most intrepid editors down, Grace started working out again herself. And, yes, she’s (back at) Club Fit!

Grace shares that she has been a Club Fit member on and off for the last 25 years of so.

I can well relate! Sure, I loved my 1980s health club; there were great classes, fun and inspirational instructors and lots of locations so I could work out near my office or my apartment. Funny thing is, I don’t recall ever seeing anyone much older than I was. Nor did I see any families with kids. I worked out with friends, flirted a bit, even had a few gym dates!

When my husband and I moved to Chappaqua nearly 30 years ago, with a toddler in tow and a baby on the way, well, let’s just say I was looking for a different type of gym experience. Club Fit felt like a warm and welcome way to meet our needs. And now? With those kiddos long grown and flown, gotta say, it’s still (like Stacy’s mom) got it going on!

Steve Butler with Grace
PHOTO BY MIA BROWN

Now in Mount Kisco: Oral Surgery with a Side of TLC

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Andrew Horowitz, DMD, MD, FACS, has put down new roots in Northern Westchester. As a partner in private practice at the well-established New York Oral, Maxillofacial, and Implant Surgery (NYOMIS) in Scarsdale, he recently announced the opening of a second location in Mount Kisco, New York.

It’s a formidable time in his career. “It feels great to have 15 years of experience under my belt,” says Dr. Horowitz. To complement his procedural experience, Dr. Horowitz is accomplished in using the newest technology available. “Advances in dental technology have made a profound impact on oral surgery,” he says. “Oral surgeons can now offer patients exacting, comprehensive treatment in less time with improved results.”

Education + Training

Dr. Horowitz hails from West Bloomfield, Michigan. In his youth, he wasn’t absolutely sure of his career path, but his father was a positive influence. “My dad was a periodontist, so I’ve been around the dental field my entire life.” Dr. Horowitz earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Michigan. And yes, he still gets home to catch the occasional football game!

He then headed east to attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to earn his doctorate of dental medicine (DMD). To enhance his education, he earned a medical degree (MD) from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine combined MD/Oral and Maxillofacial Residency program in New York City. While at Mount Sinai, he completed a general surgery internship, a residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and served as chief resident.

Oral surgeons are specialists who focus on tooth extraction, wisdom tooth removal, and implants. Oral maxillofacial surgeons are additionally trained in operations to correct injuries and defects of the face, jaw, or mouth. This could include health conditions such as jaw misalignment, tumors or cysts, facial injury, and cleft palate. As an oral maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Horowitz treats the entire scope of dental surgical needs.

Advances in Technology

All dentistry has experienced a growth in technology. Many dentists are now using 3D X-ray machines to diagnose, and 3D printers to create dental crowns.

Oral surgeons are using new technology to assist with dental implants. Advances in technology have contributed to making implant procedures easier and more accurate. One such technology is the cone beam CT scanner. This technology allows the surgeon to take a scan of the jaw structure, which provides information on how to best install the implants. High-tech placement methods mean more people are candidates for prosthetic teeth.

Dr. Horowitz has extensive experience in immediate implant placement procedures called “All-on-4 Technique” and “Teeth in a Day”. These advances help patients avoid what was once a lengthy and costly process that included bone grafting and many appointments.

While Dr. Horowitz says these techniques involve a long day of treatment, patients are only sore for only a few days and the process is much easier for the patient. “We are also well versed in sedation techniques that put the patient at ease and reduce any anxiety that may be present,” says Dr. Horowitz.

Local Life

Like many transplanted New Yorkers, Dr. Horowitz felt the pull to wider pastures. Since he was working in Scarsdale, Westchester County caught his attention. “It was time for a little more space, a bit of land and some trees,” he says. “A good community and a fine school system were are also on the want list.” He settled in Chappaqua 15 years ago and is raising his two children there.

“We are a ski family,” says Dr. Horowitz. And when he’s not on the slopes, you can find Dr. Horowitz attending his children’s school activities, or cooking something delicious.

Designed with peaceful natural tones, his offices exude the same sense of ease he found in Westchester’s natural landscape. “The NYMOIS offices have a serene environment,” he says. He values having time to spend with each patient. “I enjoy providing specific individualized attention and every bit of TLC I offer has a positive impact on my patients.”

New York Oral, Maxillofacial, and Implant Surgery
Scarsdale, Mount Kisco
www.NYOMIS.com
914-689-7550