Women's Heart Health
In January 2026 Rebecca Hendrixson, Bridge Street Health office manager and wife of Bridge Street Health physician, Dr. Michael Hendrixson, suffered a serious heart attack leading to open heart surgery. ​​Through Rebecca's journey, Bridge Street Health has become an advocate for women's heart health to reduce the likelihood that other women experience what Rebecca did.
Dr. Hendrixson understands the risk factors, strategies to mitigate risk, latest guidance on biomarker testing and is in the game with you to build a personalize heart health plan. We want you to help you optimize your whole body health.​​
​
If your primary care doctor hasn't talked to you about your heart, initiate the discussion. If you are looking for a primary care doctor who understands heart health, we invite you to see us how we include heart health in our practice primary care.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women. About 30% of deaths in women are attributable to heart disease. That's more than all forms of cancer combined, and that number has not changed significantly in recent years. Remarkably, 80% of heart attacks are estimated to be preventable through education and lifestyle changes. Our mission at Bridge Street Health is to work with each patient on strategies to optimize their overall health and minimize their risk of cardiovascular disease.
Steps You Can Take
Heart health begins with a regular conversation with your doctor to review your overall health status, determine your specific risk of cardiovascular disease and creation of a personalized plan built around your risk factors.
1. Have a conversation with your doctor about YOUR HEALTH​
Talk with your physician about heart health and schedule appropriate lab work and other tests as needed to create a personalized profile of your health status.
2. KNOW THE SYMPTOMS or warning signs OF A HEART ATTACK​
In many cases women experience symptoms or warning signs that can be missed or misunderstood.
TYPICAL
-
Chest pain
-
Shortness of breath
-
Pain that spreads to shoulder or arm
-
Jaw pain
-
Sweating for no apparent reason
-
Dizziness, lightheadedness
ATYPICAL AND EASY TO MISS
-
Unexplained general weakness
-
Anxiety/feeling of doom
-
Indigestion, nausea not linked to food
-
Back pain
-
Neck pain
-
Sleep disturbance
3. DETERMINE YOUR SPECIFIC RISK FACTORS
VISIBLE RISK FACTORS
-
Health history (diabetes/insulin resistance)
-
Family history
-
Obesity
-
Visceral fat
-
Blood pressure
-
Smoking status
-
Excess alcohol
-
Physical activity level
-
Stress and mental health
-
Inflammatory conditions (RA, lupus, psoriasis, etc.)
INVISIBLE RISK FACTORS (Blood Biomarkers)
These are the silent indicators that require specific lab work to identify.
-
LDL > 160 mg/dl
-
TGL > 150 mg/dl (fasting)
-
Elevated TGL:HDL ratio
-
Lipoprotein (a) > 75 mg/dl
-
Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) > 120 mg/dl
-
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) > 2 mg/l
-
HbA1c > 5.7%
-
Fasting blood sugar and insulin levels
These are the lifestyle factors, physical measurements or historical data.
4. CREATE A PERSONALIZED PLAN to modify risk through lifestyle changes
Lifestyle
is the Foundation
of
Heart Health
-
Optimize diet and minimize sugar & processed foods
-
Exercise regularly
-
Manage stress
-
Manage weight and visceral fat
-
Invest in relationships and activities you enjoy
-
Avoid smoking and decrease alcohol intake
-
Increase physical activity level
-
Start working on heart health today
Healthy choices can reduce the risk
of heart disease by 80%
Guidance from the
American Heart Association
Life's Essential 8
key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health
Eat
Better
Whole foods, lots of vegetables and fruits, lean protein, nuts, seeds and cook with health oils.
Bridge Street offers a program call Nourish to Flourish to guide you to a healthy diet.
BE
MORE ACTIVE
Adults should get 2 ½ hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week.
quit
tobacco
Use of inhaled nicotine delivery products, particularly cigarettes, are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
GET
HEALTH SLEEP
Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Adequate sleep promotes healing, improves brain function and reduces the risk for chronic diseases.
MANAGE
WEIGHT
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits.
Optimal BMI is less than 25.
CONTROL
CHOLESTEROL
High levels of non-HDL, or “bad,” cholesterol can lead to heart disease.
manage
blood sugar
​Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (or blood sugar) that our bodies use as energy. Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
manage
blood pressure
​Keeping your blood pressure within acceptable ranges can keep you healthier longer. Levels less than 120/80 mm Hg are optimal.