February 16 is National Women’s Heart Day

Do you know what the number one cause of death for women in the U.S. is? Would you be surprised to find out that its heart disease? Heart disease kills more than 489,000 women each year; one of every three women. Some form of heart disease claims the life of a woman every minute in the U.S. Heart disease kills more women every year than the next four causes of death combined, and half of those who died suddenly from heart disease had no previous symptoms. These are frightening statistics from the American Heart Association.

 

Now for the biggest surprise of all. You have the power to fight heart disease. Only you can prevent heart disease from affecting your life. How? By knowing your risk factors and reducing those that you are able to control. We’ve all seen the commercials about family history haunting us, or heard someone say “Uncle George had it, so there’s nothing I can do,” but there is. It’s true, family history is a risk factor that you can’t change or control. But most of the risk factors for heart disease are in your control, and you can take charge. The first step in fighting heart disease is to know your risk factors.

 

So, what are these risk factors everybody is talking about? The American Heart Association has defined the risk factors we can change as:

• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• smoking
• physical inactivity/sedentary lifestyle
• obesity or being overweight
• diabetes

How do you take control? The first thing to do is know your numbers:cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose, body mass index (BMI) and weight.

 

High cholesterol can build up in your arteries and block normal blood flow. Once you know what your cholesterol reading is, you and your healthcare provider can decide what to do. Sometimes diet and exercise is enough to lower and control high cholesterol, but medication may be needed in addition to these measures. Whatever course you take, the goal for total cholesterol is less than 200.

 

Do you know what your blood pressure is? High blood pressure is caused when your heart has to work harder than normal to move the blood through your body, damaging your arteries. Sometimes, diet and exercise is enough to keep blood pressure under control, but medication can be used if this is not enough. A healthy blood pressure is considered to be less than 120/80.

 

If you smoke, stop. Smoking is the most preventable risk factor and cause of death in the U.S. Talk with your healthcare provider for suggestions on smoking cessation. Don’t give up. If you try to stop smoking and aren’t successful, try again. Most people have to try several times before they are able to quit. The important thing is to keep trying!

 

Increase your activity. You don’t have to run a marathon. Any amount of activity is good. Even normal activities, if done consistently, can improve your heart health. Find an activity you enjoy, whether it’s walking, biking or dancing, and make them part of your daily routine. Just 30 minutes a day can improve you health.

 

Know your body mass index. This is a measure of body fat. Being overweight, especially around the middle, increases you risk of not just heart disease, but high blood pressures, high cholesterol and diabetes are all risk factors for heart disease.

 

Know what your fasting glucose is. If this number is high, you may be diabetic. The risk for heart disease is two to four times higher for women with diabetes. If you are diabetic, controlling your blood sugar reduces your risk.

 

In addition to knowing your numbers, eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential to good heart health. By eating a healthy, balanced diet, you can reduce your cholesterol, blood pressure and control your weight. Reduce the fat in your diet, 30% or less of the total calories a day is what the American Heart Association recommends. This doesn’t mean you have to give up all the "goodies" that you love, but moderation is the key.

 

By knowing your numbers, you will be prepared to fight heart disease. But it is also important to know the signs of a heart attack. You may be aware of the classic signs of a heart attack, such as pain or discomfort in the center of the chest, pain in the neck, jaw, either arm, back or stomach, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or dizziness, but women often have more vague symptoms. These symptoms are many times passed off as not being cardiac-related. It is important for women to be alert to signs other than the classic symptoms, such as feeling unusually tired, having trouble sleeping, nausea, anxiety or feelings of uneasiness. Remember, the faster you get help, the less damage there will be to your heart if you are having a heart attack.

 

Be proactive. Take control. Let the professional nurse practitioners at instaClinic help by answering your questions and assisting you in becoming aware of your risk factors and "your numbers".