Top 10 Things Women Should Know about Heart Disease
- Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in women
- Understand your risk factors
- Know your numbers
- Take symptoms seriously
- Talk to your doctor
- Take charge of your heart health
- Quit smoking
- Get active and eat healthy
- Diabetes increases your risk
- Take action
1. Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in women (YouTube Video)
Heart disease presents a far greater risk to women than breast cancer or other diseases. In fact, heart disease kills about seven times as many women as breast cancer.
Women generally have a lower risk of heart disease than men, until they reach menopause. As estrogen levels drop, their risk increases until it matches that of men. Overall, women are more likely to die following a heart attack than men.
The presence of other risk factors can reduce or eliminate the lower risk found in healthy younger women. For example, younger women who have diabetes are at the same risk for heart disease as men their age.
2. Understand your risk factors (YouTube Video)
The details for certain risk factors can be different for women and men. The major risk factors for heart disease are:
- Smoking
- Menopause
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Poor Diet and Nutrition
- Excess Weight or Obesity
- Lack of Physical Activity
- Diabetes
- Stress
- Depression
- Genetics and Family History
3. Know your numbers (YouTube Video)
Keep track of these numbers and work to keep them within recommended limits (listed for healthy individuals):
4. Take symptoms seriously (YouTube Video)
Women have a tendency to downplay or ignore symptoms. Often this can be because they are used to acting as the caregiver for others. Listen to your heart and your body. If you experience symptoms, seek help.
If you think you may be having a heart attack, call 911.
Women often experience the classic signs of heart attack. However, they may not respond in the same ways. The classic signs of a heart attack are:
- Chest discomfort or pain
- Pain in the arm, neck, jaw, or back
- Sweating and/or cool, clammy skin
- Nausea, indigestion, or vomiting
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
For some women, chest pain may not be the first sign of heart trouble. These women report less common symptoms, such as unusual tiredness, trouble sleeping, indigestion, and anxiety up to a month before the heart attack. Women with diabetes often have more atypical symptoms.
5. Talk to your doctor (YouTube Video)
Your doctor is your partner in preventing heart disease. Have regular check ups to monitor these numbers and work to keep them within recommended limits:
Be sure to raise any concerns and talk about symptoms.
6. Take charge of your heart health (YouTube Video)
Make your heart health a priority. Start making lifestyle changes that reduce your risk of heart disease. In many cases, not only will you feel healthier and more energetic, you will also be reducing your risk for other diseases at the same time.
7. Quit smoking (YouTube Video)
Quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do to positively affect your heart health. The benefits of quitting start within 20 minutes of your last cigarette, and at one year your risk of a heart attack is reduced by 50 per cent.
Most people find that the more support they get while trying to quit, the better their chances of success. The Heart Institute’s Quit Smoking Program can help.
8. Get active and eat healthy (YouTube Video)
Regular exercise can cut your heart disease risk in half. In fact, lack of regular exercise increases risk comparably to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking. Exercise has a range of benefits that include:
- Improving the efficiency of your heart and lungs
- Improving your HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides
- Lowering your blood pressure
- Losing weight
- Improving your blood sugar
- Improving your muscle tone and bone density
- Increasing your stamina and improve your confidence
- Improving your ability to cope with stress and decreasing anxiety and depression
Eat healthy by reducing saturated and trans fats, eating healthy fats and oils, increasing vegetables, fruit, fibre, and whole grains, and reducing salt and sugar. Eating heart healthy will:
- Lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Lower your blood pressure
- Help you lose weight and reduce waist circumference
9. Diabetes increases your risk (YouTube Video)
Having diabetes significantly increases your risk for heart disease. Pre-menopausal women with diabetes are at the same risk for heart disease as men their age. In fact, seventy percent of diabetes deaths are due to heart disease.
If you have diabetes, it is even more important to live a heart healthy lifestyle.
10. Take action (YouTube Video)
Don’t wait. Most heart disease is preventable. The benefits of improving your heart health begin immediately and increase over time.
