Why Are Women More at Risk Than Men?
The myth that heart disease is a man’s disease. In the past, heart disease was considered a man’s disease so most research on the subject focused on men. Even today, women comprise only 27 percent of participants in all heart-related research studies. Where men and women have been studied separately, important differences in heart disease and its treatment have been found.
Risk factors aren’t well controlled. Because of lack of awareness of heart disease in women, risk factors such as cholesterol are often better controlled in men than in women. One reason may be that many women receive most or all of their care from their obstetricians or gynecologists where there is a greater focus on reproductive or breast health than on other risks such as heart disease.
Lack of awareness of unique symptoms. Women’s heart attack symptoms are often different than men’s symptoms so heart disease is not always recognized right away. A study in the journal Circulation shows that compared with men, women have a 50 percent greater chance of being delayed in an emergency setting. And because heart attack symptoms aren’t always clear cut, research shows women go to the hospital at least a full hour later than men do after experiencing a heart attack. As a result more heart damage can occur and more women than men will die within one year of a first recognized heart attack. Getting treatment quickly is critical for newer, lifesaving medicines and treatments to work.
High blood pressure
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Did You Know?
More women than men die of heart disease each year. |
This truly is a silent killer because it often goes unnoticed and untreated. High blood pressure increases the heart’s workload and causes the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and heart failure, so it’s important to know your blood pressure and what your goal is.
High cholesterolYour risk for heart disease goes up as your cholesterol increases. Make sure you know your LDL and HDL cholesterol numbers. Cholesterol goals are different depending on your age and risk factors. Your doctor can help you determine those goals and may recommend cholesterol-lowering medication.
Being overweightIf you’re overweight — especially if you carry much of it around your mid-section — you’re at higher risk to develop heart disease, even if you don’t have any other risk factors. Extra weight can raise blood pressure, cholesterol and lead to diabetes.
DiabetesHeart disease is the leading cause of death for people with diabetes. If you have diabetes, you’re five times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than women without diabetes. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates that are two to four times those of adults without diabetes.
SmokingCigarette smoking is such a significant risk factor that the Surgeon General has called it “the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States.” Smoking decreases HDL (good) cholesterol, increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the tendency for blood to clot. If you smoke, your risk of developing heart disease is two to four times that of a non-smoker. Smoking also more than doubles the risk of sudden cardiac death in adults with established heart disease.
The good news is people who stopped smoking after a first heart attack had half the risk of dying prematurely than did those who continued to smoke.
Physical inactivity
Overall, heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people than in those who are more active. If you’re inactive and overeat, you’re more likely to gain excess weight. In many people, being overweight can lead to high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes and increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Stress
While not all research is clear on the link between stress and heart disease, stress affects the body in many ways that may ultimately hurt your heart.
Too little sleep
Studies now suggest getting too little sleep on a regular basis puts you at higher risk of heart disease. Inflammatory markers related to heart disease were higher in women who got less than eight hours of sleep a night.
Diet and nutrition
Your diet plays a key role in your heart health. A diet plentiful in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high fiber, fish, lean protein and low-fat dairy products can positively affect your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and weight.
Metabolic Syndrome
Obesity seems to be the key factor in developing metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and abnormal cholesterol levels. And the conditions for metabolic syndrome lead to an increased risk for heart disease, as well as stroke and diabetes.
Age
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Did You Know?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women. |
As you age, your risk for heart disease increases, especially after age 55. Blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol go up sharply in women at the time of menopause, which is around the age of 50. This increases risk for heart disease. Before menopause, the female hormone estrogen has some protective effect in maintaining adequate levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Estrogen also works to relax the smooth muscle of arteries, maintain normal blood pressure and prevent some forms of blood vessel damage. After menopause, the rate of heart disease-related death for women steadily increases.
Heredity
Genes and your family history play an important role in your risk of developing heart disease. You’re more likely to develop heart disease or stroke if your close blood relatives have had them. And you’re at even higher risk of heart disease if you have a family history of “early heart disease,” which means a father or brother who had heart disease before age 55, or a mother or sister who had heart disease before age 65.
Race
African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians, which puts them at higher risk of heart disease. African-American women are 35 percent more likely to die of heart disease than Caucasian women, while Hispanic women face heart disease nearly 10 years earlier than Caucasian women. Pacific Islander women, long considered at low risk, now count heart disease as their second leading cause of death.
History of heart attack and stroke
Women who’ve had a heart attack are at higher risk of having a second heart attack; 22 percent of women ages 40 to 69 who survive a first heart attack will have another heart attack or fatal coronary heart disease within five years, and 22 percent of women ages 40 to 69 who survive a first stroke will have another within five years. A transient ischemic attack (TIA or “mini-stroke”) also is a risk factor and predictor of stroke.
To learn more about risk factors and how to control them, request a free “Her Heart” kit today.