Heart Disease: A Serious Matter for Women

When you think of all of the major today, heart disease is rarely at the top of the list. Breast cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and lupus are many things that come to mind. However, heart disease is actually the number one cause of death among women鈥攁nd African American women鈥攖oday. In fact, since the mid-1980s, more women than men have succumbed to heart disease every single year. A few other sobering statistics:

  • Over 90% of women today have one or more risk factors for heart disease.
  • Over 48,000 African American women die from heart disease annually.
  • Less than 40% of African American women know that heart disease is their top health risk.
  • Only 50% of African American women can recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
  • Hispanic women are likely to develop heart disease 10 years earlier than Caucasian women
  • Only 1 in 8 Hispanic women report that their doctor has every discussed their risk for heart disease.

Risk Factors

There are a number of lifestyle, diet, and natural factors that increase the risk of heart disease. These include:

  • Smoking
  • Lack of exercise
  • High blood pressure or cholesterol
  • Diabetes
  • A diet high in salt, saturated fats, and added sugar
  • Family history of heart disease
  • Older age
  • Stress

On top of these factors, there are others that are exclusive to women. These include:

  • Menopause
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Early or late start to menstruation
  • Early term childbirth

Preventative Measures

Although there is little you can do about factors such as a family history of heart disease or the onset of menopause, you do have direct control over those that are lifestyle or diet-related. Women often are so busy taking care of their immediate and extended family that they forget about their own care. Maintaining a healthier heart involves taking a close look at how you can address specific aspects of your overall wellbeing, such as the following:

  • Exercise more frequently
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Eat more vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy products鈥攁nd less red meat and saturated fats
  • Avoid smoking
  • Monitor blood pressure鈥攁void excessive consumption of sodium, calories, and alcohol
  • Consider low-dose aspirin鈥攂aby aspirin or half a regular dose of regular aspirin lowers the risk of heart attack by one-third

Treatment

If you or other women in your family have heart disease, you can still look forward to a high quality of life with proper drug therapies, surgical intervention, and rehabilitation steps.

Medication
If you already have some form of heart disease, it鈥檚 likely that your physician will prescribe medications for you. These are usually aimed at treating high blood pressure or cholesterol. It鈥檚 important to take these medications as directed and to report any unusual side effects to your physician as soon as possible.

Surgery
If your heart disease is in an advanced stage, you may need a to address it. There are two common heart procedures that aim to improve arterial blood flow鈥攃oronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft. Coronary angioplasty involves the insertion of a catheter with a balloon tip into the blocked artery, followed by the inflation of the balloon to unclog the artery. A coronary artery bypass graft procedure involves using a blood vessel taken from another part of the body to create a bypass around the clogged part of an artery.

Rehabilitation
After a heart procedure鈥攐r surviving a heart attack鈥攜ou will likely be directed by your physician to undergo a cardiac rehabilitation program to build up your strength and stamina. This will usually include exercise training, diet and nutrition guidance, as well as counseling and support to help you manage stress and ongoing risk factors.

Conclusion

Women are often the primary caregivers for their loved ones. However, they need to be more aware of their responsibility to themselves as well, especially when it comes to the threat posed by heart disease. By taking steps to maintain a healthy heart and/or carefully manage a heart condition, you can continue to lead a long and active life.