Heart disease is still women’s No. 1 killer – it affects more women than men and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. However, most women believe breast cancer is their biggest health threat. But one in 31 American women die of breast cancer, while one in three women die of cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association has been fighting cardiovascular disease and stroke since 1924, but 10 years ago the association recognized the need to educate women on their risk of developing heart disease and how women can prevent it. This led to the birth of “Go Red For Women” and since its inception, more than 627,000 lives have been saved. But the fight is far from over, as it still kills about one woman every minute.
Prevention is the key. If we, as women, made the right choices for our hearts including diet, exercise and abstinence from smoking, 80 percent of cardiac events in women could be prevented. Prevention is where we can save lives.
Using the American Heart Association’s research and resources, “Go Red For Women” educates and connects hundreds of thousands of women and offers tools to help women make lifesaving choices – choices to protect their health and reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Every woman should know the risk factors for heart disease and make heart-healthy choices to reduce those risks. Risk factors that you can impact include:
- High blood pressure. Over half of all adults with high blood pressure are women. This condition can increase your risk of stroke and heart attack. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so talk to your healthcare professional about your risk. To prevent or manage high blood pressure, eat a healthy diet low in sodium, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
- Smoking. Smoking cigarettes is the most preventable major risk factor of heart disease, and it increases your risk two to four times that of nonsmokers. Thousands of nonsmokers, including infants and children, are harmed by exposure to cigarette smoke. It’s never too late to quit!
- High cholesterol. 44 percent of American adults have cholesterol levels that are too high. The higher your total blood cholesterol, the greater your risk of coronary heart disease. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Take steps to lower your cholesterol levels by losing unnecessary weight and limiting the saturated fats, trans-fats and cholesterol you eat.
- Physical inactivity. Lack of physical activity increases your risk of coronary heart disease. Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week.
- Being Obese or Overweight. More than 149 million American adults are overweight, and 75 million are obese. If you have excess body fat – especially at the waist – you’re more likely to develop heart disease and stroke. Work with your doctor to determine your healthy weight and develop a plan to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
- Diabetes. Compared to women without diabetes, women with diabetes have two to four times higher death rates from heart disease. A family history of diabetes can significantly increase the risk of developing diabetes. To prevent or manage diabetes, watch your weight and diet, be active, don’t smoke, avoid secondhand smoke, and talk to your healthcare professional about your family history of diabetes.
There are additional factors that can cause heart disease, such as family health history, age, and gender. So be sure to discuss your risks with your doctor. Having an open dialogue with your physician, curbing your risk factors and being aware of the signs of a heart attack can help save your or a loved one’s life.
For more information on how to enjoy a healthy and active life, visit GoRedForWomen.org or GoRedForCorazon.org. Or call 888.MY.HEART. This February, Go Red and help save a woman’s life.
Heart disease is often silent; be sure to know warning signs of a heart attack.
The most common warning signs of heart attack are:
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
- Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms
- Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath
Women may have other, less common warning signs such as:
- Atypical chest pain, stomach or abdominal pain
- Nausea or dizziness
- Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing
- Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue
- Palpitations, cold sweat or paleness
Not all symptoms will occur in every attack. But should you, or someone you know, have some of these signs, call 911 immediately to get help.
