Heart Disease and Women

By: Chris Chenoweth

Coronary heart disease is a disease of the blood vessels of the heart that causes heart attacks. It is the number one killer of American women. Learn about the risk factors and what you can do to reduce your risk.

POST-REPRODUCTIVE AGE WOMEN ARE MOST AT RISK.

Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The risk for women significantly increases after menopause.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE HEART DISEASE?

Cardiovascular disease can be silent but usually has symptoms. Lack of blood flow to the heart muscle can cause symptoms of chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue and sometimes palpitations and dizziness.

Talking to your doctor about your symptoms, along with good routine follow-up care, are necessary first steps to determine if any further evaluation is necessary. Many cardiac risk factors can be controlled or eliminated such as hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.

WOMEN CAN SHOW DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS THAN MEN DO.

In women, chest pain has not been perceived to be a good clue that heart disease is really present. Chest pain can have different origins and women can experience atypical features of cardiac chest discomfort. The likelihood of chest pain coming from the heart depends a great deal on the person's cardiac risk profile.

All chest discomfort in women must be taken seriously and evaluated, whether cardiac or otherwise. One should not wait to seek medical attention if there are symptoms of chest discomfort.

Some studies have shown that women who tell their doctors about chest pain are not treated as aggressively as men. Women who are not satisfied with their doctor’s evaluation must be persistent and seek another opinion.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE?

The three biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease that you have control over are:

*Cigarette smoking

*High blood pressure

*High blood cholesterol

OTHER RISK FACTORS

Other risk factors, such as being overweight and having diabetes, are also conditions you have some control over. It only takes one risk factor to raise your chances of having heart-related problems. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop cardiovascular disease.

*Physical inactivity is a risk factor for heart disease. Heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people as in those more active.

*Excess body weight in women is linked with coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and death from heart-related causes.

*The more overweight you are, the higher your risk for heart disease.

*Diabetes, or high blood sugar, is a serious disorder that raises the risk of coronary heart disease. The risk of death from heart disease is about three times higher in women with diabetes.

*Diabetic women also are more apt to have high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.

*The risk of heart attack or stroke is higher for women who both smoke and use high-dose birth control pills (oral contraceptives).

HOW CAN YOU REDUCE YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE?

*Quit smoking

*Cut back on foods high in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol

*Check blood pressure and cholesterol levels

*Get more exercise

*Lose weight if you are overweight

*Participate in regular physical activity.

HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE CAN DIET AND EXERCISE REALLY MAKE?

Following a low fat, low cholesterol diet, and participating in regular exercise are excellent health habits for everyone to follow. Some of the advantages of following this type of lifestyle are:

*It helps lower one's blood pressure and blood sugar. These are factors that contribute to the development of arteriosclerosis (hardening and blockage of the blood vessels).

*Increasing levels of physical activity are associated with decreased risks of coronary heart disease.

*Physically active women have a dramatically lower risk of heart disease than sedentary women. Unfortunately, over half of all women in the U.S. are physically inactive.

If you are concerned about your risk of heart disease, see your doctor. There are diagnostic tests that can be performed to assess the presence or severity of heart disease. The tests used are non-invasive procedures (done outside of the body) and are painless.