What Every Woman Really Should Know About Heart Disease

When thinking about the victims of heart disease, we generally think of men. But did you know that heart disease is also the leading killer of women? It's true. Diseases of the heart claim the lives of nearly 500,000 women every year. More than 60 percent of the women who die from sudden heart failure had no previous symptoms of the disease. As women age and their bodies undergo physiological changes, their risk of heart attack increases. Medical researchers studying the causes of cardiovascular diseases in women have identified menopause and lifestyle as important factors.

The Change of Life and a Change in Risk for Heart Disease

As a woman's body goes through the "change of life", menopause, her risk for heart disease changes. During menopause a woman's body experiences a reduction in estrogen production levels, changes to the structure of the blood cells, increased fibrinogen production and increased cholesterol levels. While it's not clear how much these changes increase a woman's risk for cardiovascular disease, it is clear they are associated with a greater degree of risk. In fact, post-menopausal women are
2-3 times more likely to suffer from heart attack than women who haven't begun menopause.

Doctor's previously believed hormone replacement therapy or selective estrogen receptor modulators could help women fight against heart disease; however, clinical studies revealed these treatments were ineffective and may actually increase a woman's risk for heart attack.

While doctors can do little to change menopause, there are measures that can be taken to reduce a woman's controllable risk factors for heart disease.

A Change to a Heart Healthy Lifestyle

Medical specialists have recently issued new guidelines calling for a more heart healthy lifestyle for women. To reduce the risk of heart disease, doctors now recommend and place strong emphasis on changes in diet, increased physical activity and changes in lifestyle. Along with sodium restriction and moderate alcohol consumption, the new guidelines now encourage women to eat fresh fruit, reduce saturated fats to less than 7 percent of daily caloric intake and increase their participation in moderately intense physical activities. Women should engage in 60-90 minutes of physical activities like brisk walking, 7 days a week. Quitting smoking and losing weight would further reduce a woman's risk of having a heart attack. Of course, a woman should seek the advice of a good cardiologist to discover the best way to incorporate these changes into her daily life.

Becoming more knowledgeable about heart healthy habits and their impact on your personal risk factors will go a long way to helping you win your battle against heart disease.