An actress and a county executive discuss heart health

Adorned in red, Emmy Award-winning actress Susan Lucci, who lives in Garden City, stood beside Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Dr. Richard Schlofmitz, the chairman of cardiology at Catholic Health St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center on Feb. 17. Their mission at the Nassau County Legislative and Executive Building in Garden City was to foster awareness of February as American Heart Health Month.

“I have learned since being the national ambassador for the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Movement, that heart disease is the number one killer of women more than all cancers put together,” said Lucci. “It kills one in three women every year. It kills one woman every 80 seconds.”

Amgad Makaryus, department chair of cardiology at Nassau University Medical Center, wrote in a statement to the Herald that awareness needs to be emphasized for women because “classically over time in the history of the medical field (and even by some to this day), signs and symptoms of heart disease in women have either been overlooked or underestimated by the medical establishment.

“It is therefore very important,” he wrote, “that we continuously work to break the myth that cardiovascular disease is a disease of men.”

He added that heart health is very important, especially because the heart is an organ that is always working and never “takes a break.”

Blakeman announced that the dome of the county’s building will be lit red on Thursday night to symbolize the importance of heart health.

“Heart disease is the leading killer in Nassau County and while that is alarming, according to the state, we have one of the lowest percentages by population in the state of deaths from heart disease,” Blakeman said. “However, that’s no reason to be complacent.”

Like many before her, Lucci had ignored her symptoms of possible heart-related complications until she had to be rushed into the emergency room at St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center in Roslyn where Dr. Schlofmitz was her doctor in 2018. She had a blockage of her arteries and had to have surgery to place stents.

Makaryus wrote that delaying evaluation for a possible heart condition may lead to suffering and mortality. Cardiovascular diseases tend to be incremental and usually progressive if not treated, he added.

“Many people when they have problems with their hearts keep it to themselves and Susan was brave enough to come out and talk about her history and symptoms, not once but twice,” Dr. Schlofmitz said. “If anybody has symptoms see your doctor. Get checked out.”

Last year, Lucci underwent a second procedure after she recognized the symptoms again. “You need to be diligent and keep working on this your whole life,” Dr. Schlofmitz said. 

Makaryus said that people ignore heart health in their day-to-day lives. For example, he said, it can be difficult to eat healthy whenever you’re running around busy, and that it can be hard to fit in daily exercise rituals. Life, in general, is just stressful, which has a negative effect on the heart, he said.

Negative effects on heart health can start to affect someone as early as birth. “Although these negative effects may not manifest until we are at middle age or older,” he said, “it is important to stay on top of heart health early on due to the cumulative effect of unhealthy living factors over time.”

Preemptive health checks are always essential, he said. There are guidelines and recommendations on checking blood pressure, cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight.