Women’s Heart Disease: How to Reduce Your Risk By Austin G. Hackney
According to the AHA (American Heart Association) coronary heart disease kills more women in the USA than any other illness. During your lifetime, cholesterol-based plaque accumulates, sticking to the walls of your arteries and making them narrower. If they get too narrow, the blood pressure builds up and they can burst, causing a heart attack.
1. Don’t Smoke Smoking increases your chance of heart disease by up to 50%. If you smoke, take steps to cut down or stop altogether. If you find it difficult, talk to your doctor, who can recommend methods to help you kick the habit.
2. Cut Down Your Cholesterol Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in your blood. It’s natural and plays an important role in your body’s health. But if your cholesterol level is too high and causes plaque to build up in your arteries, you may be at serious risk. Your doctor can test your cholesterol level and if it’s high, work with you to reduce it with medication and changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Risk factors may be genetic, age-related, or to do with your lifestyle. Women with high blood pressure and unmanaged diabetes are at higher risk. A poor diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, and lack of exercise increase the buildup of plaque and your chances of heart disease. But you can lower your risk by understanding the signs and symptoms and reducing lifestyle risk factors.
3. Check Your Blood Pressure
With heart disease, prevention is better than cure. Women who may be at risk should speak to a doctor, who can run diagnostic tests and recommend treatments and lifestyle changes. The AHA also recommends all women to take the following steps to reduce the risk of heart disease:
You should have your blood pressure taken every two years. High blood pressure combined with plaque in the arteries is very dangerous. Again, your doctor can recommend treatment. You may need medication, or simple changes in diet and exercise may be enough to keep you safe. continued on page 5
February 2019 | 50 + Living
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