American Heart Month: What You Need To Know About Heart Disease in Women
During the month of February organizations across the country celebrate American Heart Month, a time to bring awareness to cardiovascular health and the risks associated with heart disease. As of 2021, 1 in 5 women die of heart disease every year making it the leading cause of death of women in this country. This statistic is alarming and serves as a sign that more needs to be done to shed light on how heart disease presents itself in women as well as ways to prevent it.
What's the difference?
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity are the three main factors that play a role in the development of heart disease in both men and women. There are some additional factors like emotional health, diabetes, menopause, and pregnancy complications that make women more suspectable to this condition in comparison to men:
- Emotional health- Recent studies have shown that mental and emotional stress is harder on women's hearts. When experiencing this blood flow to the heart decreases which causes it to pump less effectively.
- Diabetes- Women with diabetes are twice as likely to develop diabetes in comparison to their male counterparts. The full reason is unknown but is often attributed to the gaps in recommendations for cardiac care.
- Menopause- Estrogen levels lower when women are in their 40s and 50s due to menopause. This decrease in estrogen can cause more belly fat which increases possibilities of obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood pressure, and small vessel heart disease.
- Pregnancy complications- Changes in the body during pregnancy such as increase blood volume, heart rate, and cardiac output can put an extra strain on the heart. While these symptoms are normal they can develop into more serious condition like preeclampsia and myocardial ischemia.
What to look out for?
It's important to pay close attention to your health and closely monitor any symptoms that you may be having. These are some typical signs that occur when experiencing heart disease:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Fluttering feeling in chest
- Pain in neck, jaw, throat, back, arms, or upper stomach
- Other heart attack like symptoms
How to reduce the risks?
If you're experiencing any of the signs and symptoms listed above please talk to your primary care provider. Some other tips to reduce risks are:
- Eating a health diet consisting of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low or fat free diary products, and lean protein. Consume salt, sugar, and saturated/trans fats in moderation.
- Staying active. Something as simple a taking a walk around the neighborhood a few times a week can serve as a great source of exercise.
- Managing stress. Breathing exercises, journaling, and practicing mindfulness are some excellent techniques to utilize. Talk to your provider about counseling or therapy if necessary.
- Getting good quality sleep. Though it can be difficult to achieve at times 7-9 hours of sleep daily should be the goal. Limiting distractions before bed or listening to relaxing music can be ways to improve sleep quality.