Heart
Disease Knows No Gender
Though many women do not
know it, it is their biggest health threat
Few women would dare to
skip regular mammograms after the age of 50. But far too many fail
to heed an even bigger health threat.
Heart
disease is the number one killer of women in the United States,
according to the American Heart Association. In
sheer numbers, more women than men will die of heart disease this
year.
But many women do not
think of themselves at risk of heart disease, physicians say. A
recent American Heart Association survey found
that only 8 percent of women identified heart disease and stroke
as their biggest health threat.
"The key thing women don't
understand is that half of them will die of cardiovascular disease
or stroke, and many of them will die prematurely," says Dr. Rose
Marie Robertson, past president of the American Heart Association.
"They worry about cancer, but many more will die of cardiovascular
disease."
Lack
of Knowledge Puts Women at Risk
The lack of knowledge
could be one reason why so many women are not taking measures to
protect themselves. An American Heart Association
survey of 521 women found that 75 percent are not following recommended
guidelines for diet and exercise.
The survey revealed that
only 28 percent of women eat a diet low in fat and cholesterol.
And only 31 percent exercise at least three times a week for 30
minutes or more.
Before menopause, a woman's
hormones provide some protection from heart disease, says Dr. Naveed
Malik, a cardiologist at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.
After menopause, "the incidence of cardiovascular disease rises
very rapidly and catches up with men," Malik says.
"Even we as physicians
need to be more vigilant about the presence of cardiovascular disease
in women," he says.
Still, women are by no
means immune from heart disease before they hit menopause. Research
has shown artery-clogging plaque buildups can begin in the teens
and 20s, setting the stage for heart attacks in middle age.
"There are women in their
40s and 50s having heart attacks in this country every day," Robertson
says.
Risk
Factors for Heart Disease
Major risk factors for
heart disease include smoking, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol,
and obesity, Malik says.
And obesity rates are
soaring. About 60 percent of Americans are overweight. Of those,
about 30 percent are obese, according to recent statistics.
Because a sedentary lifestyle
puts you at risk for obesity and other ailments, a key component
of warding off heart disease is exercise, Robertson says.
New
Exercise Guidelines Issued Earlier This Year
Earlier this year, the
federal government issued new exercise guidelines that recommend
adults and children spend at least an hour a day in moderately intense
physical activity to maintain maximum cardiovascular health.
However, any exercise
is better than not exercising at all, Robertson says: "We worry
that if people see it as an overwhelming job, they might not start."
Steps
to Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
To increase awareness
about the risk of heart disease in women, the American Heart
Association has launched a campaign called "Simple Solutions."
The aim is to teach women small steps they can incorporate into
their lives to decrease their risk of heart disease.
"Women are very busy,"
Robertson says. "They're taking care of everyone else, and they
often forget to take care of themselves. We wanted to come up with
simple, practical steps they could do every day to lower their risk."
Here are 10 suggested
steps:
1. Buy the deepest color
of ground beef you can find. The darker the red, the less fat it
contains.
2. Do your own yard work. Mow your lawn. Rake the leaves or grass.
It is great exercise for your arms.
3. When eating at a restaurant, split an entree. Portions at restaurants
tend to be large. Before eating a pizza, blot up the oil with a
napkin.
4. Take the stairs whenever you can. Each flight burns 10 calories.
5. Do not use creamy dressings or croutons on your salad. If
you must have something crunchy on it, walnuts can be a good alternative
because they are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
6. When talking on the cordless phone, stretch your arms and legs
or do arm curls with a can of food in your hand.
7. Keep high-calorie, high-fat foods out of sight in your pantry.
Put raw vegetables and fruits in the front of the refrigerator so
you see them first.
8. Play with your children or pet. Play chase with the dog or take
him/her for a walk. Take the kids to a park for a game of tag or
push them on the swings. Badminton, volleyball, and swimming are
fun things you can do together.
9. Eat crunchy, healthy snacks such as carrots, celery, or rice
cakes instead of chips, cookies, and soda.
10. Walk as much as you can. Park you car at the far end of the
lot, and walk to the grocery store or the dry cleaners. When you
take your kids to soccer practice, spend the time walking around
the field while your kids play.
Always consult your physician
for more information.
Online
Resources
(Our Organization is not
responsible for the content of Internet sites.)
American
Heart Association
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
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