Women and Heart Health

When we think of heart disease and heart attacks, we mostly think of men. We forget that heart disease is one of the top killer of women as well, particularly after menopause. Women need to think of their heart health risks and talk to their doctor about the risks to their body when it comes to their heart. This is especially true if you have a family history of heart disease or other risk factors.

So what risk factors do we need to think about when it comes to women and heart disease? First, we need to take a strong look at family history. If there have been women in the family that have suffered from heart disease, you need to consider yourself at risk for heart disease. Second, look at your cholesterol levels. If you have a high “bad” cholesterol or a low “good” cholesterol, you need to consider yourself at risk. The total cholesterol should be under 200 mg/dL and your “good” or HDL cholesterol should be above 40. If not, you need to consider going on cholesterol-lowering medications which will improve your numbers and decrease your risk for heart disease.

You need to see if you have diabetes, which is an independent risk factor for heart disease. There are blood sugar-lowering medications that can improve the picture of diabetes and decrease heart disease risk factors. Blood pressure is another factor to consider. If your blood pressure is consistently high, you can do things in your lifestyle to decrease your risk for heart disease and you can take blood pressure-lowering medications.

Obesity and exercise level play into getting heart disease or not. You should have a Body Mass Index or BMI of 25 (23 for Asians) or less to have a neutral risk for heart disease. If it is higher than that, you can increase your chances of having heart disease. Exercise can help lower your weight and improve your chances of a long life.

You can do none of these things when it comes to heart disease without the help of your primary care doctor. Ask your doctor about the things mentioned above and, if you are at high risk for heart disease, consider having an exercise stress test, which can see if there are already changes in your heart rhythm suggestive of heart disease. See a dietitian about what constitutes a heart healthy diet and stick with a diet that is good for your heart and overall health.