OGDENSBURG -- Dr Geetanjli Sangwan cardiologist and director of cardiology at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center spoke to members of the Ogdensburg Zonta Club at their February Dinner at the Gran-View.

Zonta members wore red in support of Go Red For Women/American Heart Awareness Month.

According to Dr. Sangwan, heart symptoms are more often missed and more mistakes are made when women have cardiac emergencies.

The outcome of a heart attack is more likely to be severe, even fatal, in women, she said.

Women with atypical symptoms have been diagnosed with everything from indigestion to panic attacks, she said, and these misdiagnoses of cardiological events increase the risk that they will be ultimately fatal. Most importantly, Dr Sangwan urged the women to schedule regular visits to their health provider, learn about their blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI and blood sugar and to pay attention to their bodies and symptoms.