10 VITALITY Fall 2022 Women: Take good care of your heart It’s your No. 1 health risk Like many women, you might consider breast cancer your top health concern. But there’s an even bigger risk to your health: heart disease. It’s the leading killer of both men and women. Heart disease strikes nearly 1 in 3 women during their lifetime, compared to 1 in 8 women who will get breast cancer. HEART DISEASE RISK FACTORS Some things can make you more likely than the average person to get heart disease, which sets the stage for heart attacks. For instance, your risk rises if you: Are 55 or older or postmenopausal. One reason is the decline in the hormone estrogen (which offers women some heart protection) that occurs after menopause. Have high blood pressure. This damages the heart’s arteries. In addition, women are more prone to heart disease if they had high blood pressure during pregnancy, a condition known as pre-eclampsia. Have high cholesterol. Too much LDL cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol) in the blood can clog arteries in the heart, triggering a heart attack. Have diabetes. Or if you have its precursor, prediabetes. Have a family history of early heart disease. If your father or brother had a heart attack before age 55 or your mother or sister had one before age 65, your risk rises too. Are overweight or obese. Extra weight is hard on the heart. Make unhealthy lifestyle choices. These include eating unhealthy foods, smoking or not exercising. Ask your health care provider about your risk for heart disease and what you can do to lower it. HEART HEALTH Take 6 for a healthy heart Your heart works hard every day to help keep you going. Do your part to help it stay strong and working for you with these six heart-healthy habits. MAKE FITNESSYOUR FRIEND. Any physical activity that raises your heart rate—known as aerobic exercise—helps strengthen your heart muscle, which makes it easier for your heart to pump vital blood to your lungs and other parts of your body. Exercise also lowers your risk of developing conditions—like high blood pressure or an unhealthy weight—that are harmful to your heart. Find activities that you enjoy and make them a regular part of your routine. Don’t want to go to the gym? Try walking. Or try digging in a garden, playing basketball, riding a bike, swimming or even dancing around the house. CHOOSE HEALTHY FATS. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help reduce your risk of heart disease. Monounsaturated fats are typically found in nuts, olive or canola oil, and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are found in foods like fatty fish, such as salmon or sardines; seeds, such as chia, hemp or flaxseeds; walnuts; and eggs. Choosing lean meats like fish or poultry without skin and cooking with olive oil are easy ways to help lower your risk of heart disease. CUT BACK ON SATURATED FATS. These fats raise the levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood. High LDL cholesterol can cause heart disease. Foods like red meat and full-fat dairy products contain saturated fats. So do tropical oils. John F. Best, M.D., FACP, FACC, FSCAI, interventional cardiology Stephen Davis, M.D., cardiology Haris Riaz, M.D., interventional cardiology MEET OUR TEAM
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