Women and Heart Disease
February is woman’s heart health awareness month. According to the Mayo Clinic, heart disease remains the number one cause of death for women in the US.
Even seemingly healthy people who eat well most of the time, exercise occasionally, and feel fine, can be at risk of heart disease. There are many factors unique to woman that make them vulnerable to heart disease or stroke. While the simple fact of female gender increases the risk of heart disease, age, race, and family history are among the other main contributors.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Essentially, there are two groups of risk factors, those you can control and those you cannot. The factors you have more control over include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, your weight and body fat, exercise, body weight, food choices, and Type I diabetes. The factors you may not have as much control over include age, gender, family history, race, familial cholesterol, blood pressure, and history of previous stroke or heart attack.
Know Your Numbers
The American Heart Association recommends that woman keep an eye on the following numbers: Total Cholesterol, HDL (good) Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Body Mass Index (BMI). While it’s not the same for everyone, typically a normal blood pressure is 120/80, acceptable body mass should be around 25%-30%, and fasting blood sugar should be less than 100 mg/dl. Additionally, cholesterol should be checked and monitored by your doctor.
Control What You Can
Yes, you’ve heard it before, we all have; diet and exercise are paramount to being healthy. While many women “look” and “feel” healthy, it doesn’t mean they are living a heart-healthy life. The best way to eat a heart healthy diet is to fill up on fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy. Opt for foods low in saturated fats, cholesterol, salt, and sugar. One good rule of thumb is to choose 50% fruits and vegetables at every meal. The key is limiting or totally cutting out proceed foods.
Being active is another important piece to this puzzle. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests healthy adults should be active for 150 minutes a week. That breaks down to 2 hours and 30 minutes. So, exercising 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week is ideal. Moderate-intensity exercises, such as brisk walking or bicycling, is recommend.
While it’s no surprise smoking is to be avoided at all costs, monitoring alcohol intake is also suggested. Women should have only one alcoholic drink per day. Red wine is known to have heart healthy benefits and remains a good choice (in moderation) due to its antioxidants.
Looking for more information about heart health? Check out these articles by our group:
Heart Health Month and Reducing Your Risk of Heart Disease
Every Second Counts. Don’t Ignore the Symptoms of a Major Heart Event
February is American Heart Month: What is your heart age?
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/features/wearred/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/healthy_living.htm
https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/know-your-risk/commit-to-better-health