Women and Heart Disease

Introduction

Many people across the globe suffer from heart diseases every year. According to the WHO, heart diseases are the leading cause of deathglobally.

Many people tend to believe that it is mainly men who get afflicted with heart disease. However, the facts have a different story to tell about women and heart disease.

In the United States, for example, heart disease is the number one killer of women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In this article, I want to share with you a few things you need to know about women and heart disease so that you can increase your knowledge about heart disease and prevent getting heart disease if you are a woman. If you are a man, you may share this information with your wife or sister to help her adopt a lifestyle that can help her avoid getting heart disease.

Let us first of all look at some of the factors that can increase the risk that a woman can get heart disease.

So, what causes heart disease in women?

Causes of Women’s Heart Disease

• Did you know that a woman who has diabetes has an increased risk of developing heart disease? Yes, that is a fact. According to Dr. Benjamin Scirica, a cardiologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the increase in the level of sugar in the blood, which occurs when a person has diabetes, causes damage to the arteries of the heart, increasing the chances that the diabetes patient can develop atherosclerosis. 
• You increase your risk of developing heart disease if you fail to get rid of those extra kilograms of fat in your body. That is right!  Becoming overweight and obese can increase the risk that you will develop heart disease.
• Eating an unhealthy diet that contains a lot of bad cholesterol can increase your risk of getting heart disease.
• How active are you? Very inactive? Do you just slump into the sofa and watch soap operas on television the whole day when you are at home? Do you jump into bed and sleep immediately you finish your dinner? Do you sit in one place at home and make your maid or daughter do all the household chores?  Then I have news for you. Inactivity can increase the likelihood that you can develop heart disease.
• Drinking too much alcohol can also increase your risk of getting heart disease.

Your Job Can Make You Develop Heart Disease

A study done by researchers at Harvard University has shown that women who have very stressful jobs have a 40% increased risk of developing heart disease compared to women who work in jobs where they are not under too much stress.

Symptoms of Women’s Heart Disease

A woman’s heart disease may start when she is a child, and develop without notice over a period of time, only to deal a fatal blow to the woman when she least expects it.

The signs and symptoms a woman shows when she has heart disease are different from those a man shows when he has heart disease. Furthermore, a woman is more likely to die within a year of having a heart attack.

Some of the symptoms of heart disease in women are

• anxiety;
• the heart beating faster than normal;
• unusual fatigue;
• finding it difficult to breath;
• indigestion;
• difficulty sleeping; and
• arms feeling weak and heavy.

Calcium and Women’s Heart Disease

Calcium is one of the essential mineral salts that the body needs to perform certain critical functions. Calcium regulates some of the chemical processes that go on in the body. Moreover, it is a constituent of many important substances in the body.

The most important function of Calcium in the body is to help in the formation of bones and teeth. In addition, calcium helps the blood to clot properly, thereby helping to control blood pressure. Furthermore, it is needed for the normal contraction of muscles as well as for the proper functioning of the heart and nerves.

Some studies in the past suggested that there was a connection between taking calcium supplements and women’s heart disease. The studies suggested that consuming a lot of calcium supplements increased a person’s risk of developing heart disease.

However, some health experts have come out to debunk that assertion. Therefore, you may choose to continue taking your Calcium supplements. Alternatively, eating 3 servings of Calcium-rich foods, such as green leafy vegetables (  lettuce, cabbage), cheese, eggs, fruits, almonds, and milk will help you to stay healthy.

Women’s Resting Heart Rate and Heart Disease Risk

The resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in a minute while it is at rest. The resting heart rate can be used to predict whether a woman, especially a woman who has already had her menopause, is at a greater risk of developing heart disease or not.

According to a study done by the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, women whose hearts beat more than 76 times in a minute when they are resting are 26% more likely to suffer from a heart attack or die from a heart attack than women whose hearts beat 62 times or less in a minute.

Women’s Waist Size and Heart Disease

Research has shown that the size of a woman’s waist can be used to determine whether she is at risk of developing heart disease or not. Generally, women who have a waist size of 35 inches or higher are more likely to die of heart disease than women who have waist sizes of 28 inches and less.

Test for Women’s Heart Disease

There is a simple procedure that can be used to test for women’s heart disease. This test, known as reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry( RH-PAT), uses the fingertips to predict whether a person will suffer from heart disease or not. It takes less time to do this test, is safe, and is non-invasive.

Conclusion

These are a few things you must know about women and heart disease.
Women’s heart disease education must continue in communities, schools, hospitals, churches, and markets so that women will be empowered to live lives that can help them reduce their risk of developing heart disease.

Women should be encouraged to participate in Women’s Heart Disease Day and Women’s Heart Disease Awareness Month activities.
Furthermore, many more women should wear Women’s Heart Disease red dress and Women’s Heart Disease bracelet to create awareness about the disease.

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