Beverly's Story

Cardiac Patient Beverly Gilchrist-Hobson

Cardiologist Sherry Megalla, MD and grateful patient Beverly Gilchrist-Hobson

Proclaiming that “heart health is not to be taken for granted,” Beverly Gilchrist-Hobson, 55, of Freeport, urges women to schedule an annual check-up with a cardiologist.

This is a life lesson that Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson learned the hard way.

For months, Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson had been experiencing mysterious periods of fatigue and shortness of breath. Although concerned, the high-energy, fitness-conscious crime victim advocate chalked up her symptoms to a hectic lifestyle and job stress.

If Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson had been aware at the time, however, that recurrent fatigue and shortness of breath are two of the most common symptoms of high blood pressure (or hypertension) in women she would have scheduled an appointment to see her physician. Instead, she eventually found herself at Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Emergency Department, weakened and struggling to catch her breath.

“I thought I had COVID-19 or an infection,” she recalled.

Like many women with cardiac issues, Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson had symptoms that did not match those of men or what many consider signs of heart problems, such as chest pain. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.

Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson’s blood pressure was tested and it registered high. That was followed by a chest X-ray, which showed fluid in her lungs, and an electrocardiogram (EKG) that detected weakness in her heart’s electrical conduction system.

Mount Sinai South Nassau cardiologist Sherry Megalla, MD, was consulted and ordered medication to lower Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson’s blood pressure and admitted her to the hospital for more advanced diagnostic testing, including a heart sonogram, CT scan of her brain and lungs, an angiogram, and an ejection fraction (a test that measures the percentage of blood in the heart that is pumped out with each heartbeat). Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson’s ejection fraction was low—an indicator of heart failure.

Ultimately, Dr. Megalla diagnosed hypertension as the cause of Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson’s symptoms. Contrary to popular belief that it rarely affects women, the AHA says that nearly half of all adults with high hypertension are women. Dr. Megalla prescribed a low-sodium diet, ongoing blood pressure testing, and the 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program provided by Mount Sinai South Nassau Cardiac Rehabilitation (which is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation).

Fully recovered, Ms. Gilchrist-Hobson said, “I didn’t realize the importance of heart function…I thought I’m relatively youthful, I didn’t have chest pains, so I downplayed it. Now, I understand that having my heart checked is as important as my annual mammogram and PAP smear.”