If you think your only concern as a woman should be breast cancer — think again. The No. 1 killer among women is actually heart disease, which kills one out of five women every year.
Thankfully, there are ways to protect yourself at any age. You should be thinking about heart health starting today and see your primary care provider yearly for a checkup. These checkups can help your provider detect changes to your health.
Research indicates that the heart attack rate has increased for adults aged 35 to 54, especially women.
Everyone’s arteries age with each year, so it’s guaranteed your heart isn’t as healthy as it once was. That’s only compounded with poor lifestyle choices.
Just think, your heart beats 100,000 times a day and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of arteries each day.
Lifestyle Choices Can Help Prevent Heart Disease
An estimated 80% of heart disease is preventable. Key factors that can decrease your risk of heart disease include:
- Get regular exercise. The recommendation is 2 ½ hours every week of moderate activity such as brisk walking. Muscle strengthening is also recommended at least twice a week.
- Eat a healthy diet and limit alcohol. Focus on a plant-based diet and limit red meat and processed foods that are often high in sugar, sodium and saturated fats. Whole grains, fish and legumes should be in your diet mix as well.
- Don’t smoke.
- Maintain a healthy weight. This can be a concern as you age and your metabolism slows. The best way to avoid weight gain is to follow the steps above.
- If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, make sure that you are managing your condition well and taking your medications as prescribed. If you’re overweight you are at risk for diabetes, which can in turn increase your risk of heart disease.
How Heart Attack Symptoms Differ for Women
Besides leading a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to know the signs of heart attack and get help right. Heart attack symptoms include:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Upper back or neck pain
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Dizziness and shortness of breath
Some women don't experience chest pain but may have other symptoms such as:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Back or jaw pain
- Extreme fatigue
If you think you may be having a heart attack call 911 – don’t wait and see if the symptoms go away. If it truly is a heart attack, every minute that passes by before you get help represents more loss of heart muscle.
