Woman Heart Disease - Heart Health Facts

A growing and worrying health issue in women is woman heart disease. Heart disease is said to claim the lives of one in three American women.

The extent of this womens health issue is such, that in 2003, nearly twice as many women died of cardiovascular disease than from all cancers combined (womens health.gov). And, while both men and women will experience heart attacks, more women who have them will die.

Some ethnic groups of women are moreso at risk than white women of dying from woman heart disease.

The reason being that ethnic women have a tendency toward additional health issues such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, lack of physical exercise etc., These groups include African American women, Hispanic and Latina women, who will need to take special care to reduce their risk factors even more.

If you are worried about the incidence of heart disease or how you can protect yourself, here are some basic facts that will point you in the right direction toward maintaining your heart health.

woman heart disease - self care and monitoring

If there's a history of heart disease in your family or if a close family member has suffered a heart attack, the chances are that you're more likely to develop the condition. It is also true to say that the older you get, the more likely you are to develop woman heart disease.

Although this does not necessarily mean that you will have a heart attack, what it does mean is that you will need to take greater care of yourself, in ways that promote your heart health.

Woman heart disease or heart health is an issue for all women. Irrespective of your age or race, you should become proactive about taking care of yourself for prevention of heart disease. You can minimise your chances of the condition by taking a few basic steps:

Do regular checks on your blood pressure. This is one of the tell-tale signs of just how hard your heart is working in order to pump blood around your body. The harder it is finding it to do this, the higher your blood pressure will be.

Because you're unlikely to know when your blood pressure is high, you'll need to get this checked yearly. If you have high blood pressure, this will call for some lifestyle changes. It can also be managed by medication your physician may prescribe.

Do also have a diabetes test, which will tell you the state of your blood sugar level. If your levels are high, you're unlikely to know and since diabetes increases your chances of getting heart disease, you should aim to get your blood sugar levels checked on a regular basis. Diabetes can be controlled with a healthy diet and/or prescribed medication.

When last did you have a cholesterol test? Your level of cholesterol is a good indication of, and can alert you to early signs of heart disease. Cholesterol (a fatty substance found in the blood), can clog your arteries, prevent healthy blood flow to your heart and can lead to a heart attack. There is medication that can help lower cholesterol levels, however women following low cholesterol diet for heart health will help minimise their risk of woman heart disease.

woman heart disease - lifestyle changes

In addition to the steps you can take in monitoring your heart health, you can also incorporate some healthy lifestyle changes of your own that will reduce your risk of heart disease. For instance:

Stress is a major cause of many serious illnesses and health conditions. Learn how to effectively manage and/or minimise your stress levels. You can achieve this through a variety of ways such as physical exercise, drawing on your support networks, or through journaling your feelings, fears anxieties etc.,

If you're overweight or have obesity, you're at increased risk of woman heart disease. A heart healthy diet is important for lowering cholesterol, when supplemented with cardiovascular exercise and will help improve heart health and minimise woman heart disease risk.

You can learn more about the many health benefits of the Mediterranian diet and about various research findings, which you may also find helpful.

Other steps you can take to promote your heart health, include limiting the amount of alcohol you consume. If you smoke, do give it up. Smoking is one of the leading cause of woman heart disease.

To help you with your heart health goal, you'll find further information on establishing your healthy eating plan here. You will also find this 5 part activity goal-setting guidance extremely helpful. It will walk you effortlessly through setting your heart health goals. There goal setting forms and goal worksheets to aid you further.

"He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician". (Chinese Proverb)

Sources: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006

(womenshealth.gov/faq/heartdis.htm)

Further Reading:

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